


It’s not about deserve, it’s about what you believe (and I believe in love)

by movingforthesakeofmotion



Series: To Be Human Is To Love [1]
Category: Power Rangers (2017), Wonder Woman (2017)
Genre: F/F, I'M SORRY BUT I READ COMEBACKBEHERE'S WONDER WOMAN VERSE AND FELL IN LOVE, anyway enjoy! LMAO
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-11-14 01:37:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 225,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11197749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/movingforthesakeofmotion/pseuds/movingforthesakeofmotion
Summary: "Trini wrinkles her nose and looks up at her mother, wonders again for about the six hundredth time in her seventeen years of life how she could possibly be so lucky to be adopted by this almost six foot tall Amazonian beauty she calls ‘mom’, and crosses her arms over her chest with a shrug."AKA, I read comebackbehere's fic titled "I am meant to be to be wherever you are (hopefully next to me)" where Diana is Trini's mother and I decided to write 225.5k words on it (with permission of course!). Seriously guys, go read their fic, it's so amazing!





	1. everyday people do everyday things but I can't be one of them (I know you hear me now, we are a different kind, we can do anything)

**Author's Note:**

> Seriously guys, this idea is not even mine, I read comebackbehere's fic and fell in love with the idea of Diana as Trini's mother! So I just wrote this fic for it because why not?! I hope you guys like it, go check out comebackbehere's fic, it's called "I am meant to be to be wherever you are (hopefully next to me)" please go read it it's absolutely amazing! Also yes, I did ask the author if I could borrow their universe, and they said yes, so everything done here is with full permission from the original creator of the idea!
> 
> This is mostly Diana/Trini, I'm not gonna lie, there's some Kim/Trini, but I just wanted to write a fic for once where Trini's mother isn't completely horrible, my poor kid :(
> 
> Anyway, comments are appreciated as always!
> 
> EDIT: Guys I posted this less than 12 hours ago and the feedback is...whoa! So...I'm writing more! Hopefully it'll be up in the next few days! =D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Heroes (We Could Be) Ft. Tove Lo" by Alesso.

“I think we are going to like it here.”

Trini wrinkles her nose and looks up at her mother, wonders again for about the six hundredth time in her seventeen years of life how she could possibly be so lucky to be adopted by this almost six foot tall Amazonian beauty she calls ‘mom’, and crosses her arms over her chest with a shrug.

“If you say so.”

Diana Prince raises an eyebrow at her daughter and wraps her arms around her from behind, uncurling her arms from her chest and holding them up in the air as she looks around the gigantic entrance room with wonder.

“Embrace the home with welcome arms, Trini.” She sing songs, and Trini rolls her eyes and shoves her mother away lightly with a grin.

“You know I consider home wherever you are.” She mutters. Diana smiles softly and hugs her, running her fingers through her dark brown hair as she presses a kiss to her forehead. 

“The same goes for you, my darling.” Trini smiles against her mother’s chest, wrapping her arms around her waist tightly as Diana rubs small circles into her back.

The truth is, they’ve moved around too often for Trini to really call anywhere other than Diana Prince’s arms home. Trini’s counted about six different locations that they’ve moved to since she was ten, bouncing all around the world because her mother was one hell of a business woman when it came to selling and buying antiques and historical collectibles. 

But the constant moving around has slowed down recently, and truthfully, Trini hates the reason why.

On the outside, they appear to be normal.

Trini knows they’re anything but.

Because Diana Prince’s other job is being Wonder Woman, a goddess and an Amazonian warrior princess from the island of Themyscira and a member of the Justice League, and a job that Trini sometimes wishes didn’t exist.

Of course, when she was younger, the fact that her mother was Wonder Woman had been the most awesome thing Trini could ever even think of. She’d run around the park, yelling at the top of her lungs that her mother was Wonder Woman, would frown when Diana would turn bright red and look at the other mothers with a nervous grin and say ‘well every mother is a Wonder Woman, really’, before giving Trini a look that would effectively stop her in her tracks. 

But now that she’s older, now that she’s more aware, she realizes that every time her mother leaves the house to join her other superheroes in saving the world, there’s a very likely chance she may not come back, and Trini feels the panic settle deep into her stomach as she lays awake at night, waiting for her mother’s return with desperation and anxiety slamming her like a tidal wave. 

“Where did you go?” Diana asks suddenly, pulling Trini out of her thoughts as she cradles Trini’s face in her hands softly. Trini shakes her head and smiles as she grips her mother’s wrists.

“Nowhere.” 

Diana’s looking at her with her brown eyes filled with wonder and confusion, and Trini sighs and leans up on her tiptoes to kiss her cheek gently.

“I’m fine, mom.” 

The word has never felt strange on Trini’s tongue, despite the fact that she very obviously bares no relation to a Goddess from an island filled with Amazonian warriors. Even the day that Trini learned she was adopted, she had shrugged and called Diana her mother anyway, and Diana had cried and held her for almost a full hour before Trini had finally managed to convince her to let go.

Trini knows nothing of her biological family, only that Diana had been in Mexico on a business trip and had come across a young girl in an alleyway about to give birth. Diana had helped her deliver, but there had been complications during the birth, and the girl had begged Diana to take care of her daughter before succumbing to her wounds and dying in Diana’s arms. 

Diana hadn’t learned the girl’s name, only knew that she wanted her daughter to be named ‘Trinity’, and that had been that.

There were days where Trini wished she could be an Amazonian warrior from Themyscira like her mother, but Diana had raised her with Mexican culture, cooking Mexican dishes and celebrating Mexican holidays with her, and she even took the time to teach her Spanish, and a day hasn’t gone by where Trini isn’t grateful for it.

It was a piece of her biological mother that Diana made sure she got to keep. 

But Diana raised her. Diana took her in as a baby and suffered through sleepless nights of frustration holding a crying Trini in her arms and cooing softly as she changed her and fed her and did everything possible to make her comfortable. It was Diana who took her to the hospital in a frantic panic when she dislocated her knee after falling off the swing at the playground when she was seven, and Diana who held her hand and slept beside her in her hospital bed despite how uncomfortable it was. It was Diana who was there for her first words, her first steps, Diana who was there for every scar, every bruise, every report card and every school bully. 

Diana Prince was her mother, biological or not.

“You know, the living room is still empty, and you know I can get this whole house assembled in less than a day...” Diana says, smirking as she looks at Trini, who grins.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” She says, raising an eyebrow, and Diana grins back at her.

“Matilda!” She cheers, and Trini laughs, because something Diana has been doing from time to time ever since Trini was a kid, is clear the living room of furniture and roll around the entire living room area on roller blades with her, something Trini had begged her to do after she’d seen Matilda for the first time. 

Trini shoves her roller blades on after scouring through four boxes for them, chases Diana around the living room, and ends up on all fours, dying of laughter as her stomach muscles begin cramping when Diana loses her balances and crashes into the fireplace, the marble breaking from her strength.

“Trini, we just got this place!” Diana says, brushing marble dusting off her shirt with a frown, but Trini is wheezing now from how hard she’s laughing, and Diana scoops her up into her arms and spins.

“Go shower, crazy girl! I have to clean this up now.” Diana says, setting her down with a sigh, and Trini wipes away her tears of mirth, refuses to look at the fireplace in fear that she’ll start laughing again, and walks up the stairs clutching her stomach. 

If this is what every day in Angel Grove is going to be like, then maybe Trini’s content with calling another place home.

Angel Grove was kind of a remote destination, completely different from the extravagant cities they’ve lived in in the past. But when Diana had told her that she wanted to move somewhere nice and quiet after the Justice League’s last mission, Trini had thrown a dart at the map randomly and had landed on a few major cities before landing on Angel Grove, which apparently only had a population of about fifteen thousand people, Trini discovered after a quick google search. 

The next day they were packing up and moving.

Trini takes her time in the shower, and she can practically hear Diana furiously moving furniture around a floor below her over the sound of the water falling into the tub below her. She takes her time, deciding it’s probably best to stay out of her mother’s way when she’s on a renovation roll, and when she finishes, she decides to blow dry her hair, taking an extra amount of time to make sure it was completely dry only to end up shoving a beanie on over it anyway as she throws on pajama shorts and a t-shirt. She makes her way to the stairs only to meet Diana at the top of them.

“Your room is done.”

“Already?” Trini says in shock, and Diana grins and steers her down the hallway to the room on the left. When she enters her room, she finds her bed already assembled and her clothes already unpacked, her dresser and her cupboard all in place, everything in place, really, as if she’s been living her for years rather than a day, and Trini chuckles and looks up at Diana, nodding.

“I’m impressed.”

“Mmm, the house is almost done. Just my room and a few other rooms left.” Diana says.

“The whole house? Shit, mom.”

“Language.”

“Sorry. But still, that’s record time. You make the Amazonians proud.” Trini jumps to land a high five on Diana’s raised hand, and Diana rolls her eyes and ruffles Trini’s beanie.

“Come on, silly girl. I ordered us a pizza.” 

They end curled against each other, eating pizza and watching a movie, and she doesn’t know when she falls asleep exactly, but the next thing she knows, she’s huddled up under her blankets in her room with Diana fast asleep beside her, an arm curled around Trini protectively. Trini settles back into Diana, content to fall asleep again until her eyes catch the alarm clock on her bedside table and she groans.

“Mom?” Trini shakes her a little, chuckling when Diana groans and shifts under the blankets with a frown.

“Five more minutes.” She mumbles.

“I’m supposed to say that.” Trini says, laughing, and Diana smiles before she opens one eye to peek at Trini. 

“What time is it?” She asks.

“Eight thirty.” Diana’s eyes go wide and she jumps up, throwing the blankets off her as she rushes downstairs.

“Get ready for school, you can’t be late on your first day! I’ll have breakfast waiting!” Trini laughs and shakes her head in disbelief before she walks over to her mirror and begins brushing her hair.

It turns out Angel Grove High School is purgatory.

Trini feels it the second they pull up in the parking lot of the High School, all eyes looking at their Ferrari in shock and awe. Trini should’ve known: small town people were definitely not accustomed to a Ferrari driving around town. Trini groans and turns to Diana, who looks at the people watching through the tinted windows with a frown.

“Maybe next time we should drive the Kia, no?” She asks innocently, and Trini laughs weakly before stepping out of the car. 

She walks through the hallway of Angel Grove High with her mother by her side, her heels echoing with each step that hits the ground, and Trini can feel herself blushing when every single pair of eyes follows her mother in awe. Even the girls stare at her in a mixture of jealousy and awe, and when Trini hears one of the guys wolf whistle, she clenches her fist and bares her teeth, ready to turn and punch whoever it is before Diana suddenly wraps an arm around her shoulders and steers her into the office quietly.

“If I punched every man who wolf whistled at me, Trini, there would be no men left on this Earth. Contain your anger, please.” She whispers, and Trini looks up at her with a glare. She winks before smiling, and she walks up to the receptionist and hands her the forms in her hands.

“Do you ever get used to the staring?” Trini asks Diana as they take a seat at the bench on the wall inside the office. Diana crosses her legs and shrugs.

“It took me a while. On Themyscira, we were all considered beautiful, there was no need for staring.” 

“Yeah, society hasn’t grasped that concept yet.” Trini says, slouching back into her seat before Diana taps her shoulder and she rolls her eyes before sitting up straight.

“What concept?” Diana asks.

“That all women are beautiful.” Trini says, and she tries her best not to blush, but Diana doesn’t pay attention, simply nods gravely.

“They will learn eventually.” Diana smiles and brushes her hair back.

“You look good.” She says, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“I look like I just rolled out of bed and threw on the first thing I could find, which I did.”

“Yes, and? You still look good.” 

Something else that Trini is forever grateful for when it comes to Diana Prince: she’s never, ever tried to make Trini conform. Never begged her to wear dresses, or dress like a woman, or be more feminine.

Diana’s loved every inch of her from the moment she held her in her arms, and Trini has loved every inch of Diana since she was held in her arms. 

The process is simple as they meet with the Principal, and Trini glares at the Principal as he stares at Diana openly with no embarrassment whatsoever, but Diana, as always, uses it to her advantage, managing to get Trini in the classes she likes as she smiles and flips her hair and uses that damn exotic Amazonian accent to get her way.

Trini both loves it and hates it. Loves it because it gets her what she wants, and hates it because she doesn’t like people objectifying her mother at all.

Diana Prince is beautiful in more than one way, and Trini wishes people would see that.

“Well, Miss Prince, I can guarantee your daughter will love it here at Angel Grove High.” The Principal says, smiling at Trini kindly before looking at Diana in awe once more.

“I do hope so, Mr. Feige. My daughter and I have been through quite a few schools, and every single one hasn’t left a lasting impression. I hope this time it’s different.”

And Trini knows, from the look on Principal Feige’s face, that her experience at Angel Grove High is going to be a breeze. 

They exit the office, and Trini’s thankful that the hallways are starting to empty as the class bell rings, and she looks up at Diana, who smiles at her fondly before touching her cheek gently.

“I’ll pick you up at three, okay?” Trini nods, and Diana’s thumb brushes across her cheek before she begins walking away, her back straight and pure confidence and strength exuding from her as she leaves the school through the front doors. 

Trini looks down at her timetable and sees Biology is her first subject, and she looks up with a frown before making her way down the hallway to classroom 4B.

When she reaches, everyone is still settling into their seats, and Trini pretty much runs to the back of the room and avoids eye contact with everyone, relief sweeping through her that she isn’t late, or else she’d probably be forced to do some stupid ice breaker where she tells everyone who she is.

The teacher enters, begins calling off names on the list, and Trini finds herself looking up when a particular name is called.

“Kimberly Hart?”

“Here.” She watches as a girl a few rows ahead of her raises her hand, and Trini can only see the back of her head, but the curls that cascade and fall down her back almost shimmer in the sunlight, and Trini blinks rapidly, dumbstruck as she notices the girl is wearing a cheerleading uniform. She frowns, staring at this Kimberly Hart girl for a long time until the sound of her name cracks through the air and shocks her.

“Oh, now this is a new name...uh, Trinity Prince?” 

“It’s Trini.” She says with a sigh, and then she feels her cheeks turn red as every person in the class turns to look at her.

“Hello, Trini. Welcome to Angel Grove.” The teacher says, smiling. 

“Yo, is she the daughter of that total MILF we saw earlier?” One guy says, and everyone starts laughing as Trini sinks down into her seat with a groan.

When she looks up however, the girl named Kimberly is looking at her, and when Trini sees her, she can feel her cheeks turn bright red.

Kimberly smiles at Trini softly, and Trini smiles back at her before turning her attention to the front, willing her palms to stop sweating as she pulls her beanie down to cover her face a little.

Biology is boring, and Trini finds herself glancing up at Kimberly Hart every so often, at her soft curls that fall forward as she hunches over and writes down the notes on the board. Trini finds herself texting her mother out of boredom, and Diana chastises her almost immediately, telling her to focus on her school work.

But the only subject Trini really enjoys is History, which isn’t until fourth period, so she goes through the motions and practically jumps up when the bell rings.

She shoves her books into her bags, and turns to leave, but stops short when there’s a guy standing in front of her desk, short blonde hair styled perfectly and blue eyes dazzling, a grin on his face, and Trini notices he’s got a letterman jacket on.

He must be a Jock.

“Hey, so you’re the new girl right?”

“Uh, yeah.” Trini shoulders her bag, and the guy looks at her with a grin.

“Jason Scott. Welcome to Angel Grove.” He extends his hand, and Trini takes it, shaking it once before he turns and leaves the room. 

She’s a little shocked, not at all something she expected, to be approached by a footballer and welcomed into the school.

Maybe it won’t be so horrible here.

She’s proven wrong about two seconds later.

She’s walking out of the classroom when she hears it.

“Your mom is hot.” Some guy says as she passes, and Trini turns to see another Jock with a letterman jacket on, his arm around Kimberly Hart’s shoulders as he looks at Trini with a smirk before standing and moving in front of her. Trini glares at him. 

“Move.” She hisses. The guy’s smile fades and he frowns, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Dude, take the compliment. She’s your mom. You’re like, her offspring.”

“I’m adopted.” Trini pushes past him, and the guy laughs.

“Well, that explains a lot.” Trini feels herself stop, can feel the anger that floods through her, and she’s clenching her fist so tightly that tears spring to her eyes from the pain.

Someone’s about to get their ass kicked-

“Ty, don’t be a dick. Come on.” Trini stops short, turns around and sees Kimberly Hart pushing Ty, a look of anger on her face as Ty raises his hands in surrender.

“Sorry, babe. You’re hot, too.” And Kimberly is smiling, a blush forming on her cheeks and Trini rolls her eyes, opens the door and exits the room as fast as she can.

The rest of the day kind of passes by in a blur, Trini sticking to herself and deciding not to bring attention to herself. Of course, she still gets stared at, and she hears people making comments about her mother every once in a while, but she ignores it and moves forward. 

When the school bell rings signaling the end of the school day, Trini heads to the front of the school and laughs when she sees Diana waiting for her, leaning against the Kia sportage now instead of the Ferrari.

“It’s more subtle, no?” Diana calls out, and Trini shakes her head and runs forward, giving Diana a quick hug as she presses a kiss to Trini’s hair with a chuckle. 

“Come on. Let’s go home.” They jump into the car, and when Trini looks up, she sees Kimberly Hart watching her, a small smile on her face as she waves, and Trini’s so taken aback that she just stares for a few seconds before Diana clears her throat.

“Are you going to wave back?” She teases, and Trini looks at her in shock.

“Uh, yeah, no, it’s fine. Moment’s passed.” Trini ducks her head down, and Diana chuckles and shakes her head before putting the car into reverse and looking behind her.

“How was your first day?” She asks, reaching up and brushing a hand through Trini’s hair without looking, and Trini shrugs.

“Uh, good.”

“Who was that girl?” Diana asks, raising an eyebrow as she puts the car into drive and takes off. 

“Some cheerleader, I don’t know. I barely even spoke to her.”

“What’s her name?”

“Kimberly, I think.”

“Wow, your first day and you’re making friends already? Bueno!” Trini rolls her eyes.

“She’s not my friend, I just told you, I didn’t even speak to her.”

“Then why was she waving?”

“I don’t know, she’s weird.” Diana laughs, and Trini shakes her head.

“You’re too overprotective.” 

“I am not! I just want you to make friends, that’s all.”

“I will...eventually.” 

-

She doesn’t.

A year goes by at Angel Grove High School, and Trini remains a fly on the wall, doesn’t talk to anyone, doesn’t mingle, doesn’t even go to school events, just goes to her classes, goes home to her mother, and repeats it all the next day.

It becomes a routine that she enjoys, one that’s stable and good and one that she finds herself content with.

Until it all gets thrown into a shredder and turned into shit.

She finds a nice spot to meditate near the closed Gold Mines a few months into her life at Angel Grove, and she goes there regularly after school, content to listen to her music and simply relax as she practices a few fighting and meditation techniques that her mother has taught her over the years.

Trini’s always been fascinated by the Amazonian style of fighting, but she’s never had the chance to properly learn, her human body too weak and fragile to truly master the technique at all.

Diana had always told her that practice made perfect, but Trini eventually gave up and simply began doing simple meditation and a few moves to keep her body at least limber. 

So she’s minding her own business, meditating on her Cliff when four jackasses decide to blow up the Cliff and send her spiraling down it.

Those four jackasses end up being Jason Scott, who has suffered a recent fall from grace after a prank gone wrong that involved him ending the school’s football season, Zack Taylor, a kid she’s literally seen a handful of times because he barely ever shows up to school, Billy Cranston, the one kid at school that gets ignored even more than Trini does to be honest because everyone sees his autism as ‘something weird and unlikeable’, and Kimberly Hart, who no longer has long hair and is no longer head cheerleader after she punched Ty Fleming, her now ex-boyfriend, in the face and knocked his tooth out (they put it back).

They find the Power Coins embedded into the side of the Cliff, run away with security chases them, get into Billy’s van, get hit by a train and somehow survive.

Trini remembers waking up to Diana gripping her shoulders and looking at her with wide eyes the morning after the train incident when she jumps up in her bed and screams, looking around wildly, her body covered in a slick sheen of sweat.

“Whoa, hey, are you alright?” Diana had asked, still cradling Trini’s face as Trini had looked around in a wild panic with no memory of how the hell she got back home the night before.

“What-.”

“You’ve been sleeping for almost a whole day, Trini.” 

And Trini has no response, but she feels something burning in her pocket and when she reaches down and feels the Power Coin burning a hole through her jeans, she chokes back a sob of panic because she could’ve sworn that she dropped it when they were getting chased by security...

She doesn’t tell Diana anything, too afraid of the possibilities and wanting to find out more answers herself before she causes any panic.

Finding out answers is the best and also worst mistake Trini has ever made.

She’s in Kimberly Hart’s car right now, nursing a dislocated shoulder that Kimberly had popped back into place, and Kimberly’s watching her, wincing every time Trini gasps in pain.

“Are you sure I popped it back in properly?”

“Yeah, you did. It doesn’t hurt, it’s just...tender.” Trini finishes lamely. Kimberly sighs, but nods all the same and Trini finds herself looking out of the window, trying to wrap her mind around everything that’s happened in the last four days. 

They’re Power Rangers.

She’s still not even sure she knows what the hell that means.

They’d gone back to the Cliff after school the day after the train incident, all five of them, and when Trini found she could climb the Cliff in less than thirty seconds instead of hiking around and up it, she’d attempted to run.

Because there was something seriously wrong and she had no idea how to approach it.

And then the others had crossed the chasm to chase after her and Billy had fallen, yelled out to them to jump after him, and just when Trini thought she could ignore him and leave, Kimberly had dragged her off the Cliff and they’d all fallen down and found a ship.

A ship that was apparently sixty five million years old and belonged to the Power Rangers.

And now they were the new Power Rangers. Her, Jason, Billy, Zack and Kimberly.

They’re superheroes.

Zordon had told them about the threat that was coming, and when he had shown them the vision of Rita Repulsa, Trini had felt like her heart had been crushed inside her chest.

Rita was...downright terrifying.

And now she and four other teenagers are supposed to stop her from destroying the Universe.

This is so supposed to be a job for Diana Prince.

But she can’t bring herself to tell her mother what’s happened.

Trini wipes away the spot of blood that falls from her nose and Kimberly grips her hand suddenly, and Trini ignores the spark of electricity that hits her when Kimberly’s skin makes contact with her own.

“Is your mom gonna freak out when she sees your face?” Trini sighs and looks in the drop down mirror of the passenger seat, touching the bruise forming on her forehead and the cut on her lip as she shrugs.

“Probably.” Kimberly chuckles.

For the last two days, they’ve spent over seven hours in the Pit inside the ship, training to fight, learning how to use their bodies as weapons and yes, Trini has a bit of training because her mother is freaking Wonder Woman, but that doesn’t stop her body from being broken and battered. She’d woken up this morning feeling like hell, and when Jason had told them they had to go back today to train, Trini had silently agreed with Kimberly’s protests.

“Jason, I can’t feel my body. Can’t we just, I don’t know, call the Justice League and get them to handle it?” Kimberly had said in exasperation, and Trini had let out a scoff of disbelief.

Great, either she puts herself in danger or she puts her mother in danger...

“Yeah sure, I’ve got Wonder Woman on speed dial, let me just call her.” Zack had said sarcastically, and Trini could feel her heart drop as she dropped her gaze down at her feet guiltily. 

“Look, the point is, we’ve gotta at least try. Those coins came to us for a reason, all five of us meeting at the Cliff, it happened for a reason.” 

“Fate.” Billy had chimed in, and Jason nodded at him with a smile.

“Right. Fate. So how about from now on, we stick by each other’s side, and we help each other out, okay?” 

So that was that. Trini had grumbled and whined, but had gone to the Pit, had kicked Zack’s ass, and had also gotten her ass kicked by a Putty.

And now she’s nursing a hurt shoulder and a bruised face.

“Your parents are gonna freak, too.” Trini says, looking at Kimberly’s scratched up cheek and the bruise around her left eye, and Kimberly shrugs.

“I can hide it, it’s fine.” They pull up to her house, and Kimberly grips her hand as Trini goes to leave to stop her. Trini looks at her, and she hesitates before taking a deep breath in.

“Hey...we’ve got your back, okay? Whatever happens now, the five of us...we figure this out together.” Trini smiles and nods once.

“I know. It’s just...I can’t believe this shit, you know? How is this even possible?” Trini says, and Kimberly scoffs in disbelief.

“I know. I still haven’t wrapped my head around it. We just got thrown into training and now we’re all bruised and battered and still fighting. When did we get so driven to be superheroes?”

“Jason’s speeches are pretty good.” Trini says, and Kimberly laughs before she bites her lip and squeezes Trini’s hand.

“And Rita Repulsa is terrifying.” Trini nods.

“That vision was...”

“Yeah.” Kimberly says, not needing her to finish her sentence. Trini sighs and looks up at her house before opening the door.

“I should go. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

“Yeah, course. See you there.” Kimberly smiles, and Trini ignores the way her heart begins thumping against her chest at the sight as she jumps out of the car and closes the door behind her, waving as she heads to the front door.

As soon as she opens the door to her home, Diana is running into the entrance way with a look of complete relief as she shouts and runs toward her, embracing Trini into her arms tightly.

“God, you’ve had me so worried! I tried calling you, you weren’t answering, I was about to scour the whole town-Trini, why are you wet?” Diana pulls away, and Trini drops her gaze down, but Diana’s gripping her chin and forcing her face up into the light.

Trini avoids eye contact, but she can see Diana’s jaw clenching from the corner of her eye.

“What happened to your face? Trini, what happened?” She asks, her voice strong but soft at the same time. 

And for some strange reason, Trini’s bottom lip trembles, and she simply collapses into Diana’s arms and cries, Diana cradling her and holding her gently.

Trini doesn’t want to be a superhero.

That’s supposed to be her mother’s job...

“I don’t know what to do.” She whispers. Diana purses her lips and grips Trini’s hands before leading her over to the living room and sitting her down on the couch.

“What happened?” Diana asks again.

And Trini wants so desperately to tell her.

But Zordon told her she wasn’t allowed to reveal her identity...

Trini bites her lip, hisses when her teeth make contact with the cut on her bottom lip, brushes her tears away and smiles.

“Mom, what’s it like? Being a superhero?” She asks, her voice hoarse. Diana blinks in surprise at the topic change, but takes a deep breath in and sighs.

“Well...I wouldn’t exactly call myself a superhero. I’m just someone who has the ability to help others. I feel obligated to do something because I can do something. I fight for the world because the world is worth fighting for...most of the time.” She chuckles, and Trini bites down on her trembling lip again as Diana cradles her face.

“I fight for what I believe in, and I believe in love. You, and a man from a very long time ago showed me that love is the most powerful thing in the world. But Trini...what does this have to do with what happened? Who hurt you? Your face...” Trini shakes her head and grips Diana’s wrists.

“Nothing, I’m just...I fell at school today. There was a water balloon fight, the football team were being a bunch of jackasses and they soaked me and I slipped and fell. I’m okay.”  
Diana frowns, and Trini can see the cogs turning her mind, so she taps her mother’s wrinkled forehead and smiles.

“No frowning. No anger. I’m okay, I promise.” 

“You were crying.”

“My shoulder hurts.”

“I’m going to the school tomorrow-.”

“No you’re not. I’m okay.”

“Trini, I’m your mother-.”

“Exactly. So don’t be Wonder Woman, be my mother, and believe me when I say, I’m okay. It was just a bunch of stupid kids.” 

Diana’s jaw clenches, and she nods once before looking at her.

“If they trouble you again, you tell me.” Trini laughs.

“So you can go Wonder Woman on someone’s ass?” And Diana nods seriously.

“Yes.” Trini shakes her head in disbelief, then bites her lip with hesitation before looking at her mother.

“Have you ever heard of the Power Rangers?” Trini asks before she can stop herself. Diana frowns and thinks for a few moments before she shakes her head.

“No, I don’t think so. It doesn’t sound familiar. Why? Is it some kind of girl’s scout group?” Trini chuckles and shakes her head.

“No, it’s...never mind.”

-

When Trini enters the hallway at school the next day, she grabs her books from her locker and jumps when she hears the sound of loud laughter. She looks down the hallway to see Kimberly looking at her locker with wide eyes as the people around her chuckle before dispersing as the bell rings, and Trini frowns and makes her way toward Kimberly.

When she reaches her, she sees Kimberly’s locker is riddled with graffiti, some of it telling her to kill herself, some of it saying that no one cares about her...

Kimberly’s putting on a brave face as she opens her locker and goes to grab her books, and Trini grabs Kimberly’s open locker door, looking around to see if anyone’s watching before she rips it out of the frame with ease.

Kimberly jumps before looking at her in shock, and Trini holds the locker door in her hand.

“Take your stuff out.” She says. Kimberly blinks.

“What?” Trini nods at her locker.

“Take it.” Kimberly suddenly grins before reaching into her locker and pulling out her bag and all her books, and Trini grips her hand with her free hand and smiles when Kimberly interlaces their fingers.

“You don’t need a locker.” Trini says, and then she’s throwing the metal locker door into a classroom, wincing when it makes contact with something and clangs loudly, and Kimberly looks at her before gripping her hand and dragging her down the hallway with a laugh, both of them running from the scene of the crime.

When they reach Trini’s locker, she moves a bunch of stuff around and grabs Kimberly’s bag, shoving it into her locker and grinning.

“We can share.”

“You...Trini, you don’t have to-.” Kimberly starts, but Trini shakes her head.

“I don’t. But I want to. Now come on, we’ve got Biology.” 

Training that day is worse than the last two days combined, and Trini is sitting down on a rock at the edge of the Pit as Kimberly cleans the dozens of small cuts to her back from the tiny rocks she’s fallen on to about a hundred times today. 

“Damn, crazy girl, these are totally gonna scar.” Kimberly says, whistling as she cleans a cut above her shoulder blade, and Trini bares her teeth and nods.

“Great.” Kimberly’s fingers are gentle as they skim over her body, and Trini can’t help the shudder that pulses through her body at Kimberly’s touch.

“You okay?” Kimberly asks her softly. Trini throws her a look over her shoulder and lets out a shaky breath.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She whispers, and when Kimberly smiles, Trini bites back a groan and turns away from her.

She so does not need to have a crush on Kimberly Hart right now.

When they finish training, even more bruised and battered than before, Kimberly drops her off home, and when Trini walks through the front door, Diana is sitting in the living room waiting for her.

And she has her gear on, the red and blue gladiator outfit covering her body and the lasso of truth dangling from her waist as she stands when Trini enters, a look of concern and guilt on her face. 

Trini stops short as Diana steps forward, her heart falling down to her stomach at the sight of Diana’s sword and shield strapped to her back and her Aunt Antiope’s headband holding her soft curls back from her face. 

“You have to go?” Trini asks simply. Diana purses her lips.

“You have more cuts on your face.” 

“When will you be back?” 

“I don’t know.” It falls silent between them, and Trini nods.

“Go. I’ll be okay.” 

“Trini-.”

“You’ve gotta save the world. I get it now. Go.” Diana frowns, and Trini bites her lip before she runs forward and wraps her arms around Diana’s neck. Diana sighs and melts into her embrace, burying her head into Trini’s shoulder as she wraps her arms around her waist tightly.

“Please be careful.” Trini whispers. 

“I promise.” Diana whispers back. She pulls away and brushes Trini’s hair back from her face before pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“Trini, what happened to your face?” Trini balks and steps back, clearing her throat.

“We’ll talk about it when you get back.”

“I want to talk about it now.” Diana says sternly, and Trini sighs.

“You’re doing the thing again.”

“What thing?”

“Being overprotective!” Diana blinks in shock.

“How is asking my daughter why she has injuries all over her face being overprotective? Any parent would be concerned! Why can’t you just tell me?” Diana demands, and Trini wrings her hands, her heart pounding as she shakes her head.

“I can’t tell you, okay? You just have to trust me!” 

“I do trust you, you know I do, but if someone is hurting you I have a right to know!”

“No one’s hurting me, okay? I’m fine!”

“You say this but you don’t mean it! Why can’t you talk to me, you used to talk to me about everything, but for the last week you’ve been so shut off! What’s happened?” Diana exclaims, and Trini can feel tears in her eyes as she shakes her head.

“I can’t talk to you about this, it’s not something you can understand!”

“How can you say that? I’m compassionate and sensitive, you can say anything to me, Trini! You’re my daughter!” Diana says in exasperation.

“Stop treating me like I’m five! I’m seventeen now, I can take care of myself! God, why can’t you understand that?” 

“Because you’re all I have, Trini!” Diana shouts, and Trini is quiet, frozen, her body trembling as Diana watches her, a tear falling down her face as she shakes her head.

“You’re all I have, and if I lose you, I won’t be able to keep fighting. I won’t be able to keep going.” Diana’s voice is shaking, and Trini stares at her for a long time.

“I’m just one person. What the hell am I worth?” She whispers. Diana scoffs in disbelief.

“Is that what you think? That you mean so little to me that losing you shouldn’t matter?” Diana whispers. Trini lets out a groan of frustration and grips her hair as she looks at Diana in anger.

“That’s not what I mean! God, don’t you understand? You’re immortal! I’m not! I’m gonna die one day anyway, so what the hell is the point in this relationship if all it’s going to do is break your heart? Why would you take me in, why would you look after me and bond with me and be my mother if you knew you were going to lose me one day? Why would you let me go through life knowing I have to leave you behind? It’s selfish! It’s stupid! You should’ve left me on the street to die with my real mother!” 

Those words break her heart, but Diana almost loses it all together.

Her knees buckle, her bottom lip trembles, and she lets out a whimper, and Trini is staring at her, completely at a loss for words.

She didn’t mean that.

She didn’t mean that, fuck, why did she say that-

Diana clears her throat and wipes her tears away and begins making her way to the front door.

“I’ll be back soon.” She says firmly, and Trini feels her heart break with each step that Diana takes.

She can’t let her leave like this.

What if she doesn’t come back?

“Mom-.” Trini calls out, but the words she wants to say die in her throat, and she hears Diana pause for a moment before she’s opening the door and leaving before Trini can say anything again, the sound of the door slamming shut echoing across the house and breaking the silence that hangs in the air. 

-

As it turns out, Trini shouldn’t have worried about Diana being the one not to return home.

It should’ve been herself she worried about.

The days pass by, Jason counting down in the Pit the eleven days they have to train and morph into their suits to become the Power Rangers and defeat Rita Repulsa.

Diana doesn’t return home, but sends Trini texts to let her know she’s okay, and Trini watches the news with bated breath every day, waiting for the announcement of some kind of attack that has the Justice League at the front and center fighting against it.

She spends her nights tossing and turning, unable to sleep without having Diana’s presence nearby, and Kimberly, who is by her side for a majority of the day now due to them not only sharing a locker, but deciding to train together at Kimberly’s request, is the first to notice that something is up.

“Is everything okay?” Kimberly asks her one day as they both pull their bags from her locker. Trini shrugs it off and says she’s fine, she just had a fight with her mother, and Kimberly gives her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“You’ll figure it out. You two seem really close.” 

Trini simply nods and tries her best not to cry.

They’re on day ten when Alpha 5 shows them the Zords and tells them that as soon as they morph, they can use the Zords to their advantage in their battle against Rita.

Zack, of course, decides it’d be funnier to use the Zord anyway.

He crashes through the Cliff, has Jason and Trini glaring at him as Jason punches him, Billy tries to break up the fight and ends up morphing.

They’re all kind of frozen in shock, not sure of what to do or think when Billy’s blue armor suddenly forms over his skin, and Trini is watching him with a grin because truthfully, he looks badass.

But the armor fades as quickly as it appears, and Trini is looking at Kimberly as Zordon yells at them all to leave. 

Zack sets up a bonfire, and they all huddle around it, angry and disappointed as Zack tells them that maybe the reason they can’t morph is because they don’t know each other.

They all agree to share some information, and Zack tells them his story.

How he doesn’t go to school as much anymore because he’s looking after his dying mother. How he’s afraid of the day he loses her, how he loves her, cherishes every moment he has with her...

Trini is crying as she listens to his story, and right now she wants nothing more than to call her mother and tell her she loves her.

But she wants to be supportive of her fellow Rangers, so she squirms in her seat and listens intently as Billy tells them he’s happy to have them, that he doesn’t miss his Dad as much when he’s around them.

When it gets to Kimberly, she gives Trini a long, hard look, tears in her eyes before she bites down on her lip and shakes her head.

“Not tonight. Skip me.” She whispers. Trini watches her with a frown as her gaze moves to the fire, a look of guilt in her eyes as Zack asks Jason to share.

Jason tells them they already know who he is, the star quarterback who screwed up and cost Angel Grove High a football season. He tells them about his Dad, too, how he’s always pushing him to be something, to do something, and that he’d done the prank out of frustration, out of just wanting to be a normal teenager who did stupid shit for once...

When Zack looks at Trini with a grin, she contemplates going the same way as Kimberly and telling him to skip her.

Instead, she clears her throat and sits forward.

“My life isn’t horrible. I never had a father, it’s always been just me and Diana. I had father figures, friends of my mother’s, but...I’ve never felt like I’ve needed one. And Diana, she’s...I don’t have a parent that pushes me to be great, or to be something better. I just have a parent who is something great, something better. And I feel like no matter what I do, or how hard I try, I can never compare to her. She doesn’t want me to be perfect, or better, like her, but I just...I feel like I’m letting her down just by existing. And the truth is she loves me. She loves me more than she loves herself, and I am...fuck, I am the luckiest girl on Earth because Diana Prince decided to adopt me. She’s the perfect mother. The perfect best friend. But I can’t reach her perfection and I just feel like I’m letting her down all the time, no matter how many times she tells me I’m not.” 

Trini chuckles, runs a hand through her hair, looks up at the others as they stare at her intently, and she sighs.

“You know...I’ve been struggling for a long time with a lot of things. I’m...” Trini can’t seem to let the word out, it gets stuck in her throat, lodged into her esophagus and she looks up at the others with tears in her eyes and she doesn’t know why, but her voice is shaking when she talks again.

“I had a girlfriend a few years ago. And she opened my eyes to a lot of things about myself. But I never told my mom about her because...because I was scared she would be upset that I’m gay.” Trini laughs without humor, ducks her head as her tears fall and she shakes her head.

“And the thing is, if you guys knew my mom at all, you’d know that she’s the last person to ever, ever judge someone for being gay. Ever. But I just, I can’t bring myself to tell her. Because I’m scared that I’m somehow letting her down if I do.” 

The others are silent for a long time before Kimberly suddenly clears her throat.

“Trini, why didn’t you tell us?” She asks. Trini laughs and looks up at her.

“If I can’t tell my mom, someone who I love more than myself, what makes you think I can tell a bunch of people I’ve only known for two weeks?” Trini says, and Kimberly laughs as she wipes the tears from her own cheeks.

“Right, sorry. Stupid question. I just...we would never judge you for being gay.” 

“Yeah, no way.” Billy says, and Jason nods once, smiling as Zack suddenly smirks at her.

“I’m totally gonna be your wingman.”

“If you even attempt to be my wingman, I’ll break your index finger.” Trini says calmly, and they all laugh until Kimberly shakes her head and walks over to Trini, gripping her shoulder with a smile.

“Seriously though. You’re safe with us. In every sense of the word.” Trini smiles and grips her hand.

“I know. I feel safe with you guys.”

They spend the rest of the night toasting marshmallows, and Zack, Jason and Billy are watching YouTube videos on Billy’s phone when Kimberly walks over to Trini and sits down beside her.

“So...”

“So.” Trini says, watching her intently. Kimberly sighs and bites her lip before looking at her.

“You’re probably wondering why I said to skip me tonight.” She says. Trini watches her.

“I am. But you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” She says. Kimberly sighs and shakes her head.

“I can’t keep running from it. But I don’t want the guys to know.” Trini nods once, and Kimberly looks at her sadly.

“Do you remember when earlier this year, photos of Amanda Clark were going around the school?” Kimberly says, and Trini feels her cheeks flush as she nods once.

Getting a photo of a nude girl on her phone had made Trini almost faint, and for a second she really thought Amanda Clark had sent to her. A million things had run through her mind, that maybe Amanda knew she was a lesbian and was baiting her, or maybe Amanda herself was questioning her sexuality, or maybe she thought Trini was cute, but as soon as Trini found out the photos were spread without her consent, Trini had deleted them immediately in disgust. Kimberly looks at her with tears in her eyes.

“It’s my fault.” Kimberly whispers.

“What?” Trini says, looking at her in shock, and Kimberly’s bottom lip trembles as she lets out a shaky breath.

“I got mad because of the whole Ty and Amanda situation, and Amanda sent me those photos a long time ago, and I just...I was so mad, and I sent them to Ty asking him if that was the kind of girl he wanted to bring home to his mother, and I never...fuck, I never for a second thought he’d share them around the school, but then he did and...I feel like I can never, ever pay enough for what I did to her. I apologized and apologized and I know she can never forgive me, and I don’t want her to, because I don’t deserve it! But Ty-.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.” Trini says simply. Kimberly lets out a small whimper as she stops talking, and she nods, her gaze dropping to the ground.

“I know.” She whispers, her voice breaking with emotion, and Trini sighs and grips her hand.

“It was a shitty thing to do, but it doesn’t make you a shitty person. You learned from it, and you’re trying to be better. You can’t beat yourself up for what you did in the past, Kimberly. Does Amanda know that Ty’s the one who sent those photos?” 

“I tried telling her, but she thinks it was just me. And Ty keeps denying it, so who is she going to trust? The girl who betrayed her or her boyfriend?” Kimberly sniffles, and Trini sighs.

“The truth will come out one day, and Amanda will see the complete dick that Ty is. But you’ve done your part, you’ve tried to fix things. You did what you could to fix it, and now you’ve gotta move on. I’m not saying don’t be upset about what you did, but just...acknowledge it, and move on.” 

Kimberly nods once, swallowing loudly, and Trini squeezes her hand and offers her a sympathetic smile.

“You’re a good person, Kimberly. You were just friends with the wrong people.” Kimberly smiles softly.

“I’m glad I found you guys. I mean, sure, having the whole fate of the universe on our shoulders sucks, but...I’ve never felt happier than when I’m with you and the boys.” Kimberly looks at the boys fondly, laughing over a video, and Trini’s thankful, because she’s pretty sure she’s turning bright red at Kimberly’s words as her heart pounds loudly in her ears.

“Thank you.” Kimberly whispers. Trini looks at her with a soft smile, and Kimberly leans in suddenly and kisses her cheek.

“Seriously. Thank you.” She says again more firmly.

They all eventually disperse and head home once it gets late, Kimberly saying she’s already in trouble with her parents over cutting her hair off and Jason saying his dad will kill him if he doesn’t get home, so Trini makes her way back to the house on her own.

When she enters, she pricks her ears for the telltale sign of Diana, but when she’s met with silence, she lets out a deep breath and moves instead to the TV.

When she turns it on and sees there’s no breaking headline news, she sighs and shuts it off, grabs her phone and dials Diana’s number.

When she doesn’t answer, Trini sends her a text message asking her if everything’s okay, then heads up to bed, exhausted from a day filled with training and high emotions.

It’s the drops of water that wake her up in the middle of the night.

As soon as the first drop lands on her head, Trini feels herself being roused back to consciousness, and she blinks as more water lands on her before she looks up.

When Rita Repulsa descends from her ceiling, Trini is frozen, staring at her in shock as her hand snakes around Trini’s throat.

She tries to breathe, but Rita’s hand only tightens as she scratches one of her golden nails down Trini’s cheek.

“Do you know who I am?” She breathes, blue eyes electrifying and staring at Trini in glee as her golden teeth spark in the moonlight, and Trini bares her teeth, wanting nothing more than to fight, but instead she nods.

“Yes.” She whispers. Rita caresses her face, gentle, but threatening with each stroke as her nails bite into Trini’s skin, and she chuckles as she leans in closer to Trini, who almost gags at the smell of her putrid breath.

“I was once just like you...so pretty...innocent.” She taps Trini’s forehead, and Trini wills her body to move, but she’s completely frozen in fear.

“Are all the Rangers on Zordon’s new team as young as you?” At the mention of her team, Trini’s body seems to operate, and she bares her teeth as she growls and pushes forward, and Rita laughs and twists her in mid-air and slams her up into the ceiling. Trini groans in pain as Rita grips her hair and pulls.

“Delightful!” She says gleefully, and then she’s slamming Trini back down onto her bed by her hair.

“Have you morphed yet?!” She calls, and then she’s lifting Trini by the throat and slamming her into the brick wall behind her bed, cackling as Trini grabs her around the throat and attempts to hold her at arm’s length as pain zaps throughout her whole body on impact. 

“Trick question. If you could morph, we’d be having a very different conversation.” Trini bites down on her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain as Rita leans forward and takes a deep breath in through her nose, eyes closed as she lets out a gleeful sigh and glares at Trini with wicked excitement.

“Hmm, the Yellow Ranger.” She laughs, and Trini tries to shrug the hand gripping her neck off as Rita leans in again.

“Should I kill you? I killed the other Ranger, before.” She grips Trini and yanks her forward.

“And I loved it!” She hisses into her ear, and Trini can feel the bile rising in her throat, can feel the panic pounding through her and god, god, she wishes Diana was here, or any of the other Rangers, or that she had her armor, why doesn’t she have her armor-

“Oh, you want your armor!” Rita exclaims, laughing, and Trini looks at her in shock. 

She can read minds.

“I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours.” Rita teases, and then her eyes are glowing green and she’s stepping back, her hold on Trini slackening as strange spikes begin to form around her body, soft sighs escaping her as her body cracks and twists, and Trini is watching in horror until it hits her that now is the time to attack, and she grabs Rita and throws her across the room into her cupboard, slamming into her and grabbing her throat tightly.

“No, please! You’re hurting me! You’re so strong!” Rita gasps out, and Trini feels her hold loosen in hesitation for just a moment-

Rita laughs and glares at her with glowing green eyes.

“I’m just kidding!” She grabs Trini by the hair and throws her around into the wall behind them with ease, lifting her by the throat now and choking her as Trini cries out in pain from her body slamming into the wall, breaking right through it as she grips Rita’s wrists around her throat. 

“You’ve got spunk, little Yellow! I see myself in you. I was an outsider on Zordon’s team just like you!” Rita says, baring her teeth as Trini tries to alleviate the pressure on her neck.

They don't even know your name! You think they care about you? They're not your friends!" Rita growls, and then she's leaning forward, and her tongue glides up Trini's chin and she can't help the shudder that goes up her spine, her whole body shaking as she tries her best not to cry. Rita presses herself against her and whispers into her ear.

"Come with me! We can be friends..." She hisses, and her nails dig into the skin of Trini's stomach, scratching down as Trini winces and bites down on her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain.

“All I need to know is...where is the Zeo Crystal?” Rita says, gripping Trini tighter, and she bares her teeth and chokes out a response.

“I don’t know.” She gasps out. Rita's smile turns into a glare.

“Sadly I believe you." She lifts Trini higher, her grip around her neck strengthening and Trini can hear the air whistling down her throat as she gasps for air.

I don't want to kill her just yet, I want to play with her a little longer!" Rita says, to no one in particular, and she's mad, she's crazy, and Trini can't get out, can't escape-

"Tomorrow I am going to destroy Angel Grove. But, in exchange for your life, you will find out where that Crystal is, and you will come to me. We can have a little deal...me and you as friends." She pulls Trini in closer and hisses into her face.

"Do not believe what Zordon says! He will betray you!" She growls, and then she's looking at Trini maniacally, nodding as she caresses her cheek. 

"I will protect you." She whispers. Trini looks down at her, and she feels tears spring to her eyes.

"Where will I find you?" She gasps out, and Rita leans forward.

"What?" She says, and when Trini repeats herself, Rita grins wickedly and leans forward again.

"What?" She says again, her tone teasing and Trini repeats herself again, wanting nothing more than for this to be over, wants Rita to kill her and get it over with...

"Find me where the dead ships live...Dee Dee, my friend!” And when the smile on Rita's face disappears and Trini sees the resolution in her eyes, her heart drops.

Playtime is over.

She throws Trini into the wall again, and Trini collapses to the ground, her whole body throbbing with pain as she lifts her head up weakly, baring her teeth at Rita, who twitches as she slinks her way toward Trini, a maniacal grin on her face.

She comes within inches of Trini’s face, her hand reaching for Trini’s neck which she squeezes hard. Trini gasps for air as Rita leans in close to her and Trini groans as she squeezes her neck once more before letting her go. She drops to the ground, and by the time she looks up, Rita is gone, her cackling laughter echoing in Trini’s room as all she sees is a wisp of green before she’s alone in her room.

Trini collapses to the ground, her whole body heaving as she tries her best to just breathe, tears in her eyes falling down her face before she can stop them as she reaches for her phone with shaking hands. 

She’s not sure what number she presses, but when she hears Kimberly’s voice echo out, she lets out a sob of relief and massages her aching throat.

“Kimberly, Rita...Rita’s here...” She manages to get out, and she can’t hear what Kimberly’s saying, her mind racing as the corners of her eyes darken...

-

Trini’s numb.

About a hundred different emotions have coursed through her in the last two hours, and she has no idea how she’s even alive right now.

She’d woken up in her bedroom to find Kimberly, Jason, Zack and Billy all huddled around her, trying desperately to wake her up, and when she had, she had relayed Rita’s message to Jason, and he had decided that the best course of action was to attack.

It was a stupid idea.

They’d met Rita at the boatyard, and she had beaten them all so easily, it had hardly even been a fight worth mentioning.

And then Rita had gotten the location of the Zeo Crystal from Billy, who had apparently figured it out weeks ago.

And then Rita killed him.

In less than a second, Billy was dead, and the others had been forced to carry his body back to the ship, desperate to bring him back, to find a way...

As it turns out, Zordon’s the one who has a way.

Their grief over Billy’s death bonds them and somehow opens the morphing grid, and instead of stepping through and re-obtaining his body, Zordon brings Billy back to life, telling Jason that this is his time, his team...

Billy is still gathering himself together after, well, dying, and Trini can’t get the image of Billy being dead out of her mind, despite the fact that he’s here, he’s alive, and he’s back...

He’s alive.

The five of them are huddled together, all of them hugging each other tightly, still gripping onto Billy, and the relief pounding through Trini is similar to what she feels when Diana comes home safe after a mission, the fact that she’s alive, breathing...

“We’ve gotta stop Rita.” Jason says hoarsely, and Billy nods against them before they all stand, and Trini brushes her mother out of her mind.

Her mother is off being a superhero.

It’s time for Trini to do the same.

Diana said she fought for what she believed in, and she believed in love.

And Trini loves her team.

The second they step onto the morphing grid, Trini can feel the armor beginning to form on her body, and she can’t help the grin that takes her over as the others morph at the same time, all of them grinning ear to ear as the suits take over.

As soon as they’re done, Jason looks up at Zordon, who looks down at them proudly.

“Go, Power Rangers. Do what you were born to do.” Jason nods, and the others follow him out of the ship and up to Angel Grove above them.

The fight is long, and hard. Trini feels like she’s destroyed at least over a hundred putties, but they just keep coming, and Trini can’t help but wonder if this is how her mother feels like every time she goes into battle, because Trini’s body is still aching from Rita’s attack, and every move she makes is painful.

But she grits her teeth and pushes through it.

When Rita takes the battle to Angel Grove, the others rush back to the ship to get their Zords, and the second Trini connects with the Sabre Tooth Tiger, she feels a connection that runs through her veins and electrifies her body with strength.

They head to Angel Grove, all of them scared, but determined, and Trini thinks they might have a chance of winning...

Until Rita and Goldar begin pushing them down a pit full of lava with no escape in sight.

The heat that engulfs them is overwhelming, and the exertion that Trini feels is paramount as she attempts to push back, and she feels Kimberly’s Zord attach to hers above her, but it’s no use.

They’re all about to die.

“Hold on to each other!” Kimberly yells out.

“No one dies alone!” Jason says, and Trini is crying as she grips onto Zack’s Zord beside her, and the last words she ever said to Diana Prince are running through her mind...

They fall, Trini wonders what death feels like.

But then they’re not dying.

They’re not dying, and Trini can hear the sounds of metal grinding and the others screaming, and then they’re suddenly moving up and out of the Pit, and when Trini opens her eyes, she’s back in Angel Grove, and she’s standing about forty feet or more tall.

“Whoa!” She exclaims. She’s still in her Zord, but she can see Jason and Kimberly to the left of her, and when she looks down, she sees her Zord has extended into an arm.

“Guys, we’re like a Mamma Zord, no wait...that’s stupid. We’re a...a MegaZord!” Billy says, and Trini realizes they’ve all morphed their Zords into each other, creating one gigantic Zord.

Rita growls in frustration, and she’s melding herself with Goldar, and the others prepare themselves to attack.

And then they fall flat on their faces.

They’re not used to the controls, and Trini has no idea what she’s controlling, but Zack and Billy are yelling that they’re both legs and Kimberly is telling them she’s an arm, and Jason’s telling them to focus, and Goldar is getting closer-

She hears the sound of something slamming into something else with a hard clang that sounds familiar, and suddenly, there’s a flash of bright light and a loud clanging sound that has Trini wincing and the others yelling.

When the bright light vanishes, Trini looks down and she lets out a sob of relief at the sight before her.

Diana Prince is standing in front of them, her arms crossed in front of her body as she moves the bracelets on her wrist away from each other, and Goldar is slammed onto his back, his arms flailing and Trini can hear Rita yelling from inside Goldar in shock. Trini looks down to see Diana looking up at the Power Rangers with a look of concern.

“Holy fucking shit.” Zack whispers.

“Guys? Guys, is...is that Wonder Woman?” Billy exclaims, and Trini groans as the others yell with excitement.

“Zack I thought you were joking when you said you’d call her!” Kimberly yells.

“I didn’t call her!” Zack says in surprise, and Trini is sighing again.

“I did. Kind of.” She tells them.

“What?” The other four yell at her. Trini sighs and looks at them through the glass plate of her Zord.

“You cannot freak out when I tell you this.” The others wait, and Trini looks down at Diana, who’s looking up at the gigantic Zord with wide eyes, and Trini just knows she’s looking for which one is her.

“Wonder Woman is...my mom.” Trini finishes lamely. The others are quiet for a long time.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” Zack says. Trini groans.

“I don’t have time to explain, but she adopted me when I was a baby and she’s...she’s my mom, okay? Look, can we just focus on defeating Rita?” 

“We are so talking about how you kept this from us after we win this fight!” Kimberly says, and Trini laughs weakly before looking down at Diana, who steps back and turns as Goldar makes his way back up.

“Jason, tell her to step back! We’ve got this!” Trini says. 

“You want me to tell your mom, who is Wonder Woman-.”

“Just do it!” Trini groans, and Jason sighs before he directs the head of the MegaZord to look down.

“Step back, Wonder Woman. We’ve got this.” He says with determination, his voice booming across the sky, and then they’re running forward, and Jason yells out to them.

“Just like in training!” And Trini remembers the move Alpha 5 taught them as they duck a punch from Goldar, grab him around the waist and suddenly lift him up above their head and to the ground on his back behind them.

“Yeah! Suplex City, bitch!” Billy yells, and Goldar begins to disintegrate as they stand, and Rita is making her way toward them, shouting at them, a look of defeat on her face. 

And Jason yells at Trini to move, and Trini does as he says, moving the arm on instinct and watching as her hand makes contact with Rita, who goes flying past the stratosphere into space from the force.

And Trini is blinking in shock as Billy suddenly speaks up.

“Jason, did...did you just bitch slap her into space?” He asks.

“I did! Weird right?” He says, laughing. 

And then all five of them are laughing so hard, their stomachs are hurting, and Trini wipes away tears of mirth.

“We won!” Jason says. Zack cheers loudly, and Trini looks over to her side to see Kimberly watching her with tears in her eyes and a huge grin on her face.

“We won.” Kimberly says softly. Trini smiles back at her, and Billy whoops loudly.

“We bitch slapped her into space! Man that was so dope!” 

“Not as dope as Wonder Woman being Trini’s mom.” Zack mutters suddenly.

“OH ON THAT TOPIC! HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL US WONDER WOMAN IS YOUR MOTHER?” Kimberly yells, and Trini sighs as she looks down from her Zord to see Diana still looking up at them. 

“Uh, Jason? Can you tell her to follow us to the Cliff?” 

-

“So...which one of you is my daughter?” 

Diana Prince has her arms crossed over her chest as she looks at the five Power Rangers before her with a raised eyebrow, all of them standing on the Cliff top with their visors on, covering their faces, but none of it matters.

Because the other four look at Trini as soon as Diana speaks.

“Gee, thanks, guys.” Trini says through her visor, and then she focuses her energy and drops her visor and her helmet down, leaving the rest of her yellow Ranger armor on, and Diana’s eyes soften as soon as she sees her. 

She steps forward, touches Trini’s cheek and runs a hand through her hair, and Trini can feel her whole body shaking as she lets out a shaky breath.

“I said some really shitty things before you left, and I’m sorry-.”

She doesn’t finish her sentence.

Diana envelopes her into a warm hug, a sob escaping her as she holds Trini close, and Trini is crying as well, holding on to Diana tightly as she buries her head into her chest. 

“So this is what it was? All the injuries, god, you were training, I should’ve known, I should’ve seen it-.”

“It’s okay. I’m okay.” Trini says. Diana pulls back and cradles her face in her hands, and Trini smiles at her.

“How’d your thing go?”

“It doesn’t matter. Trini...why couldn’t you talk to me about this? You know who I am, what I do, you really thought you couldn’t tell me you were a...what is it?”

“Power Ranger.” Trini says, rolling her eyes.

“Power Ranger, right. What is a Power Ranger?” Diana asks, and Trini chuckles.

“I’m basically a guardian of the Zeo Crystal, mom. Just like you’re a guardian of the Earth.” Diana frowns, and she shakes her head.

“I noticed your hugs were a lot stronger all of a sudden, and still I didn’t put two and two together-.”

“It’s okay, Miss Prince, I think it’s a bit hard to put two and two together when it involves your daughter being a part of an ancient alien war and being gifted superpowers.” Kimberly says through her visor, and Trini groans as he looks at Kimberly with exasperation.

“You do know she’s from an island full of women who were made by Greek Gods to defend the Earth from Ares, right? Pretty much the same thing happened to her.” 

Trini can’t read Kimberly’s expression through the visor, but she’s pretty sure Kimberly is redder than Jason’s armor right now.

“Oh...”

“Well, I guess it’s fate that you two were meant to be a family then, right?” Billy says, and Diana looks down at Trini with a soft smile before looking up at the others. 

“Take down your visors. Your secret is safe with me.” She says firmly, and the others look at each other with hesitation before their visors and their helmets melt away, exposing their faces. Diana smiles at each of them.

“What are your names?” She asks. 

“Uh, I’m Billy. By the way, I’m a big fan.” Billy says, extending his hand, and Diana takes it with a wide smile.

“Zack. The honor is mine.” He says, taking Diana’s hand, and when he goes to raise it to his lips, Trini throws him a glare that has him stopping short and stepping back with a sheepish grin. 

“Jason. Thanks for saving us back there.” Jason says, taking Diana’s hand, and when Kimberly steps forward, Diana smiles.

“And you’re Kimberly.” She says, and Kimberly’s eyes widen.

“I...uh, how did you...”

“You waved to Trini on her first day at Angel Grove. I never forget a face.” She says with a wink, and Kimberly’s face turns bright red as Trini watches her with a smirk. 

“I would appreciate it if you would keep it a secret, my identity.” Diana says firmly, and the others all talk over each other as they nod.

“Of course-.”

“Wouldn’t in a million years-.”

“I mean, we’re Power Rangers, we’ve gotta keep it a secret, too-.”

“I would never betray Trini like that.” Kimberly says, and Trini grins widely at her as Zack, Billy and Jason look at her, then all clamber over each other to talk again.

“Yeah, what Kim said-.”

“Trini’s our friend-.”

“That would hurt her feelings-.” 

Diana raises a hand and they all fall silent.

“You should get home. Your parents are probably worried about you. If you want, you can come over some day when you guys are done celebrating and I can teach you a few of my own moves.” She says, and Billy stumbles as he steps forward.

“Teach-you mean, train...train with you?” He says. Diana laughs and nods once, and Billy looks at Jason weakly.

“Jason...Jason, Wonder Woman wants us to train with her. Wonder Woman...Wonder Woman’s daughter is Trini, Trini’s our friend, she’s a Power Ranger a-and her mom is Wonder Woman and she wants us to train with her-.”

“I think we should get you home, Billy.” Jason says, clapping his shoulder with a chuckle before looking up at Diana with a smile.

“We’d love to. Get some rest, Trini. And good job today, guys. Tomorrow we celebrate!” The others cheer loudly, and Trini grins widely before she looks up at Diana, who reaches over and ruffles her hair.

“That armor looks good on you.” She says. 

“Ditto.” Trini says with a grin. They both move to walk away before Trini feels a hand grip hers. She turns to see Kimberly watching her with a smile, and she suddenly embraces Trini, wrapping her arms around her neck and burying her head into her shoulder. Trini hugs her back in shock, arms wrapping around her waist.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” She whispers. Trini smiles and nods against her.

“I’m glad you’re okay, too.” She whispers back. Kimberly pulls away, and she tucks a lock of hair behind Trini’s ear before she finally lets her go.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” She says, walking backward toward the boys as she grins at Trini widely, and Trini nods once before she turns and walks away, and Diana walks by her side silently for a long time before she suddenly clears her throat.

“You should ask her out.” 

“Ask who out?” Trini says, looking at her in confusion, and Diana smirks before jerking her head back.

“Kimberly.” She says. Trini feels her heart pick up pace as her face turns bright red, and she laughs nervously before shaking her head.

“N-No, I...why would I do that-.”

“Trini, do you really think I don’t know that you’re gay?” Diana says with a sigh, and Trini comes to a complete stop.

“What?” She splutters out. Diana chuckles and grips her shoulders, looking at her softly.

“Trini, you think I didn’t see young Amy Jones leaving through your window every night when we lived in Chicago? I said I would respect your privacy and let you tell me in your own time, but you and Kimberly...I’d be stupid not to encourage that. She cares about you. I can see it in her eyes.” 

“I...” Trini’s at a loss for words, and Diana rolls her eyes.

“I was raised on an island with beautiful women, did you really think I only ever loved one person in my life? One man? Come on, Trini.” Trini blinks at her rapidly.

“You dated women on Themyscira?” She blurts out, and Diana shrugs.

“It wasn’t a big deal. Now are you going to go ask Kimberly out?” Trini rubs her forehead, her head pounding as she looks up at Diana.

“I...it’s been a long day, and I am exhausted, so how about instead we order about five pizzas, eat two tubs of ice cream and just sleep?” Diana laughs and puts an arm around her shoulders before squeezing her.

“Can you run fast?” She asks, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow. Trini shrugs.

“Yeah, it’s part of my powers.” Diana lets out a scoff of disbelief and shakes her head.

“My daughter has superpowers.”

“My mom has superpowers.” Diana sighs, then taps her nose and grins.

“First one to the house gets to choose the ice-cream.” And before Trini can say anything, Diana is running as fast as she can, and Trini feels her hair ruffle from the wind as she gasps in shock.

“That’s not fair!” And then she’s running as fast as she can after her, and when they both break through the front door, Trini tackling into Diana and Diana grabbing her and hugging her tightly, they fall the ground in laughter and Diana laughs breathlessly.

“Alright, alright, it’s a tie!” She says, and Trini grins and stands, helping her up as she does. Diana grins and hugs her tightly.

“I love you.” Trini smiles and hugs her back just as tightly.

“I love you, too.” And Diana hums in content before she presses a kiss to Trini’s hair.

“You should ask Kimberly out.”

“Mom!”


	2. I'm sorry but I fell in love tonight, I didn't mean to fall in love tonight, you're looking like you fell in love tonight (can we pretend that we're in love?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Is There Somewhere" By Halsey.
> 
> i'm like...99% sure I'm gonna be writing another chapter after this, because you guys might riot if I don't, this chapter ends with like a small cliffhanger so, yes, there will be another chapter if you guys really want it =D
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys like it, comments are appreciated, and remember! Show some love to the original creator of this universe, comebackbehere's fic "I am meant to be wherever you are (hopefully next to me)"! They made this all possible!
> 
> also if there's spelling errors, i'm really sorry, i'm kind of half asleep right now, sickness will do that to you -_-

“Again!”

Diana’s voice breaks through the air like a gunshot, a whip cracking through and echoing in the sky as Trini sucks in a deep breath with a wince, her ribs aching before she bares her teeth and stands straight, hands curled into fists and held in front of her protectively.

“Focus! Anticipate her next move.” Trini nods once, and Kimberly flashes her a wicked grin before she’s stepping forward, fist striking out for Trini’s face as she moves to the side, grabs Kimberly’s wrist and spins her around, wrapping her own arm around her neck and pulling. Kimberly ducks down and swipes a leg out, hitting Trini in the knee as she falls onto her back with a groan of pain. Kimberly clambers on top of her, and Trini grabs her shoulder and pulls her down before pushing her down and rolling on top of her.

She puts a hand around Kimberly’s throat and raises a fist and Kimberly flinches and taps her wrist repeatedly. Trini grins and looks up at Diana, and she smiles.

“Good.” 

Trini stands, a hand extended which Kimberly takes with a grin as Trini helps her up. 

“Good job, girls. Jason, Zack, your turn.” Diana says, and Jason grins and jumps up while Zack rubs his bruised jaw with a groan.

“Your mom’s a hard ass.” He mutters to Trini as she passes, and Trini chuckles as Jason raises his fists while Zack does the same, a reluctant look on his face. 

It’s been three weeks since they defeated Rita, three weeks since they all almost died, and the tension between all of them is high, but the need to train, to become better, is even higher. 

They’ve been training with Diana on the weekends, and training in the Pit during the weekdays, not wasting a single moment, and Trini’s entire body is in a constant state of pain, but the muscle she can feel growing beneath her skin only spurs her further.

Because what happened that night Rita attacked? It will never happen again.

“You okay?” Kimberly asks softly, and Trini turns to see her frowning at her thoughtfully.

Trini has no idea how Kimberly is so in tune with her feelings. It’s like she knows the second Trini is doubting herself, or is upset about something. 

“Yeah, I’m good.” Trini says, and Kimberly squeezes her hand before they both turn their attention back to the fight. 

Jason beats Zack clean, and Diana is watching him with a frown as Jason high fives Billy and Zack scowls, clutching his rib and breathing heavily as he wipes blood from his nose.

“What’s going on, Zack?” Diana asks. He looks up at her with hesitation before he’s shaking his head and grabbing his bag.

“Nothing. I’m good.”

“Zack…” Trini jumps up from her seat and walks over to him, and he looks at her with a pained expression before he sniffs and drops his head.

“Mom’s not doing so great.” He mutters. Trini’s heart drops, and she looks over at Diana, who frowns before nodding.

“Go home, Zack. Training can wait, go be with your family.” Trini looks at her mother, and Diana sighs before looking at the others and nodding.

“In fact, training is over today. You all did great. Get some rest, you’ve earned it.” 

“Same time tomorrow?” Billy says, and Diana shakes her head with a smile.

“Take the day off. Your bodies need time to heal.” Billy frowns, but Jason groans with relief.

“Thank you.” He says, and Diana chuckles before walking over and gripping Trini’s shoulder.

“You’re welcome to stay for dinner. Zack, I have some spare food in the fridge if you’d like to take some for your mother.” And Zack’s eyes light up as he nods once.

“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.” 

“Stay here with the others. I’ll talk to him.” Diana says in Trini’s ear, and she nods once before Diana squeezes her shoulder and walks over to Zack, steering him into the kitchen with a smile. 

“Guys, hang back.” Trini murmurs, and they all turn to look at her before nodding grimly.

“I wish there was something we could do.” Kimberly whispers. 

“Yeah, me too.” Jason says with a sigh. 

“We just gotta be there for him, guys.” Billy says, and Trini nods once.

“We will be.” 

Kimberly is squeezing her hand again, and Trini sighs before Diana reappears at the sliding door that leads outside and waves them in.

“He’s gone home. He told me to say ‘bye’.” She says, and they all nod once before Trini feels her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulls it out to see a new message from Zack.

_Zack Taylor (1)._  
_Your mom is cool._

Trini smiles once, sends him a smiley face emoji before looking up at Diana with a raised eyebrow.

“What did you say to him?” And Diana smirks.

“Nothing you need to know.”

Diana cooks them dinner while they play video games in the living room, and she cooks Trini’s favorite, Paella, which leaves Trini with a wide grin as she thanks her and Diana returns her smile and pinches her cheek.

“Anything for you.”

They all sit around the dinner table once she’s done cooking, and Trini watches as Kimberly looks up at her and Diana before clearing her throat.

“So, we’ve spent the last two weekends having dinner here talking about us and our lives. What’s your story?” She asks, nodding at Diana and Trini. Diana looks at Trini with a soft smile before looking at Kimberly with a raised eyebrow.

“Everybody knows my story. The Daily Planet has it’s fair share of gossipers, they’ve told my story many times.” 

“How did you find Trini?” Billy asks. 

“I was on a business trip in Mexico when I crossed a girl in an alleyway. She looked distressed, so I asked her what was wrong, and then she grabbed my hand and lead me down the alleyway and that’s when I saw her water had broken. I helped her give birth, but there were complications…she was bleeding out and I couldn’t help her, I knew by the time an ambulance got there she would be dead. So she placed her daughter in my arms and told me to get her out of there, to take care of her, to protect her, to give her a home filled with love and support. She only asked that I name her ‘Trinity’. When she died, I did exactly as she asked: I got her daughter out of Mexico and I raised her as my own.” 

“Have you ever been to Themyscira?” Kimberly asks Trini, and Trini shakes her head as Diana sighs, a look of longing crossing her face as she bites her lip. 

“I haven’t been back since I left over a hundred years ago. Themyscira is not an easy place to find, and even though I know the way…the risk is too great. Someone could very easily follow me, and the thought of bringing chaos to my home…I could never do it.”

“Do you miss it?” Jason asks. Diana smiles fondly, a hint of sadness in her eyes as she nods.

“Every day.” She says softly. 

“I wish we could go. I’d love to see it.” Trini says, and Diana grips her hand with a smile.

“Maybe we will get the chance one day. But not now…not when I’m in the public eye so much. It’s a mission and a half not to get chased coming back home as it is.”

“How do you manage it?” Jason asks.

“With a lot of leaping and a lot of very fast running.” Diana says with a chuckle, and Jason nods slowly before looking at the others.

“We should think about that, too. We can’t have someone following us back to the ship. I mean, they won’t be able to enter without a Power Coin, but still. It’s risky.” 

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Wonder Woman is your mom.” Billy says to Trini, shaking his head in disbelief, and she laughs.

“Don’t worry, it took me a few years, to be honest, but you’ll get used to it.” 

Diana’s phone buzzes, and Trini watches her look down at it with a frown before locking it and ignoring the call, and Trini stares at her.

That’s the fifth time she’s done that today.

She exchanges a look with Kimberly, who shrugs before taking a bite of her food, and Trini finds herself subconsciously running her fingers over the scars on her neck left from Rita’s attack.

And when she looks up, Diana is watching her do it with a clenched jaw and her right hand closed in a fist, a look of pure rage burning in her eyes.

As soon as dinner is over, the others leave, all of them thanking Diana as she invites them over for dinner tomorrow as well with a smile, and Kimberly is the last to leave, a look of hesitation on her face before she hugs Trini tightly and mumbles out a goodbye.

As soon as the door closes behind her, Trini turns to see Diana watching her with a smirk.

“You should ask her out.” She sing songs, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“I’ll ask her out when you tell me who’s been calling you all day.” She says firmly, crossing her arms over her chest, and Diana’s grin fades as she sighs.

“It’s no one.”

“Mom, no offence, but I call bullshit. What’s going on?” Diana watches her with a frown, hesitation in her eyes before she sighs again.

“It’s Bruce.” Trini’s heart drops, and she runs a hand through her hair before letting out a shaky breath.

“Something’s come up?” She asks, trying her best to keep her voice neutral even though her heart is pounding in her ears and she can feel sweat beginning to form a slick sheen over her body with panic. 

“Even if it has, I don’t care. I’m not going.”

That gets Trini’s attention.

“Wait, what do you mean?” She demands, and Diana’s crossing her arms over her chest now, looking at Trini defiantly as she raises an eyebrow.

“I’ve decided to retire.” She says simply.

Trini’s mouth drops open in shock.

“W-What?” 

“I’m not leaving you on your own again. Not after what happened last time. Every time I even think about leaving, I feel nauseous. What if someone attacks you again? That Rita woman almost killed you, and the thought itself makes me want to drag her by her hair from space so I can beat her within an inch of her life. But I can’t do that, so instead, I’ll settle for this. I’m not going anywhere, not anymore. They can handle it without me.” 

It’s silent for a long time, and Trini’s fighting a silent war in her mind as she looks at Diana, takes in her mother quietly.

Yes, Trini secretly likes the idea of having Diana here twenty-four seven, because it means there is less chance of her getting attacked, and yes, the thought of Diana leaving again makes Trini suddenly fall into a panic as her lungs suddenly feel deprived of air and her head begins spinning at the mere thought of it. 

But Diana is Wonder Woman.

And the world needs Wonder Woman.

“Mom, you can’t retire.”

“I don’t remember asking for your permission.” Diana says stiffly, and Trini sighs and walks forward, shaking her head as she does.

“Mom, the world needs Wonder Woman and you know it. Besides, I’m a Power Ranger now and I wasn’t when Rita attacked. Add in the fact that I’ve been training every day for the last month, and I’m pretty sure I’m capable of kicking a lot more ass than I did back then.”

“I don’t care. I am not leaving you, Trinity.” Diana says firmly, and Trini rolls her eyes, knowing it’s useless to talk to her when she’s like this as she makes her way to the stairs.

“Whatever. I’m going to bed.” 

“What that’s it?” Diana says in surprise, and Trini turns to look at her.

“I know it’s useless to argue with you when you’re like this. Where do you think I get it from?” Diana chuckles, and Trini sighs and steps back down, biting her lip in hesitation.

“I’m…I’m gonna be okay, you know? Besides, it’s not like I don’t have friends to back me up now. On the days where you’re gone, the others can stay here and keep me safe. I’m not alone anymore, mom. Whether you’re here or not, I’ve got people who have my back. Don’t abandon the world just because you don’t want to abandon me. They need you so much more than I do.” 

Diana watches her sadly for a few moments, and then her bottom lip trembles before she grabs Trini and pulls her in for a hug.

“When did you get so wise?” She mumbles against her hair, and Trini chuckles and buries her head into Diana’s collarbone.

“I don’t know. It might be a Power Ranger thing.” She muffles out. 

“I hate that you’re a Power Ranger sometimes.” Diana grumbles.

“Well, I hate that you’re Wonder Woman sometimes. But we can’t change it. The world needs us both to be a Power Ranger and Wonder Woman.” 

It’s silent for a few minutes, both of them simply embracing each other before Diana’s phone rings again and she pulls it out, looking down at it with hesitation before Trini gives her an encouraging smile and a nod.

Diana answers it, and Trini mouths ‘goodnight’ before making her way up to her bed.

When Trini wakes up in the middle of the night screaming, it isn’t long before there’s the sound of running footsteps and her door is being thrown open as Diana’s runs toward her, crashing onto her bed and gripping her to stop her from thrashing.

“It’s okay! Trini, stop! It’s okay! You’re safe!” Trini whines, closes her eyes and tries to focus on the feel of Diana’s hands gripping her shoulders instead of the feeling of Rita’s hands around her neck, or Rita’s body pressed against hers, tongue gliding against her skin-

“Mom-.” Trini whimpers out, and Diana holds her close, cooing softly as she runs her fingers through her hair.

“Shh, I’ve got you, shh…” 

Trini holds onto her mother like she’s a lifeline, willing her heart rate to slow down and a few minutes pass before there’s a loud bang against the side of the house, and Trini jumps as Diana’s head snaps to look at the source of the noise, which is next to Trini’s window.

“Stay here.” Diana says firmly, and then she’s standing, not taking her eyes off the window as she moves toward it, back tense and fists clenched, only the pale moonlight illuminating Trini’s room and Diana’s current battle poise. 

Trini’s heart is pounding again, and she’s hugging her knees, her whole body shaking as she watches Diana reach the window, a look of pure focus on her face as she reaches for the latch and unlocks it.

She throws the window up, and Trini screams and jumps when Kimberly Hart pops up, a scream of shock also escaping her as she clutches onto the window sill for support. 

“For the love of Themyscira! Kimberly!” Diana yells, looking at her angrily as she clutches her chest, and Trini looks at her in shock because she’s never, ever, seen her mother get jump scared before.

And then she’s laughing.

Diana looks over at her grumpily as Kimberly clambers through the window, a frown on her face as she sees Trini laughing. 

“Oh, maybe I’ve got the wrong Ranger.” She pants out. Diana glares at her before slapping her arm. 

“Don’t do that again! Why are you climbing through my daughter’s window in the middle of the night? And what do you mean, you’ve got the ‘wrong’ Ranger?” 

“I got woken up a few minutes ago, I just got overwhelmed with this feeling of panic and fear, and I don’t know how, but I just knew it was Trini.” Kimberly says, and Diana frowns before sighing.

“She had a nightmare.” She says simply. Kimberly looks at Trini sadly before she makes her way over to Trini’s bed, sitting down on it and taking her shaking her into her warm ones.

“Are you okay?” She asks softly. Trini nods once, and Diana walks over to them both.

“You ran all the way here from home?” Diana asks, taking in Kimberly’s slightly sweaty appearance and messed up hair. Kimberly nods, not taking her eyes off Trini, and Diana looks between them both, a slight smirk on her face before she sighs.

“In your pajamas as well. Impressive. There’s a spare bedroom if you want it, Kimberly, but I’m guessing you’d rather stay close to Trini. I’ll have breakfast ready in the morning.” And with that, Diana leaves the room, closing the door behind her lightly as she does. 

“Come here.” Kimberly says softly, lying down on Trini’s bed and holding her arms open, and Trini hesitates before she leans in, resting her head on Kimberly’s shoulder as she wraps her arms around Trini gently, her cheek resting on top of Trini’s head.

“You don’t have to stay.” Trini mumbles, and Kimberly chuckles against her lightly.

“I ran here, I’m tired and sweaty. I’m staying if I want to or not.” Trini laughs despite herself, and it isn’t long before Kimberly’s breathing evens out and her hold on Trini slackens slightly, and Trini finds herself falling asleep to the sound of Kimberly’s soft breathing.

-

It takes Trini a few moments to process everything when she wakes up.

She’s aware of a warmth beside her, and when it isn’t the kind of warmth she’s used to, a motherly, protective kind of warmth, she frowns with confusion for a few moments before she remembers.

Kimberly Hart is asleep beside her.

She freezes, not moving as she looks down to see an arm draped around her waist, and when she makes the slightest movement, Kimberly shifts and suddenly grips her tighter, and when she feels Kimberly’s hair brushing against her shoulder blades as she rests her forehead against Trini’s back, Trini takes a moment to breathe because she’s pretty sure she’s on the verge of crying.

Her heart is racing and she can feel her cheeks turning redder by the second, and she has no idea how to get out of this situation, but part of her really doesn’t even want to. 

She’s contemplating simply closing her eyes and falling asleep again, and she’s on the verge of it, fatigue getting the better of her when there’s a soft knock on her door before it opens.

She blinks blearily up at Diana, who raises an eyebrow and looks at her with a smirk before looking at Kimberly behind her.

“I told you she cares about you.” She murmurs, and Trini glares daggers at her before she runs a hand up Kimberly’s forearm around her waist.

“Kim?” She says softly, and Kimberly groans before burying her head into Trini’s pillow, finally relinquishing her hold on Trini before she blinks at her sleepily.

“Morning already?” She says with a yawn, and Trini smiles softly at the sight, her heart melting as Kimberly smiles with exhaustion.

“Yeah.” 

“There’s pancakes downstairs when you’re ready.” Diana says, and Trini nods once before she suddenly moves forward and presses a kiss to Trini’s forehead as Kimberly sits up, and then Diana pauses before she smiles and leans in again, pressing a kiss to Kimberly’s forehead as well.

Kimberly blinks in shock, and Trini smiles as Diana chuckles and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

Kimberly looks at her, and Trini grips her hand.

“That’s her way of saying ‘thank you for looking after my daughter last night’. She’s very affectionate.” Trini says, and Kimberly laughs.

“And yet you’re the complete opposite.” 

“How so?” 

“You literally almost broke Jason’s arm when he tried to hug you the other day.”

“I thought he was attacking me! We were training!” 

Kimberly rolls her eyes, but throws the covers off herself and holds her hand out for Trini to take.

“Come on. Pancakes sound so good right now.” 

When they descend the stairs and walk into the kitchen hand in hand, Diana is humming along to music and frying a pancake in a pan, and when she sees Kimberly and Trini’s intertwined hands, Trini quickly drops Kimberly’s hand and clears her throat, walking to the fridge as Diana bites down on her lip to stop herself from grinning.

“Don’t.” Trini hisses at her under her breath, and Diana chuckles.

“Thanks for letting me stay last night, Miss Prince-.”

“Ack, what is with this ‘Miss Prince’ nonsense? It’s Diana, please.” Kimberly smiles and nods.

“Diana, right.”

“And it’s my pleasure. You can stay whenever you’d like. I’d actually like to talk to you about that.” Trini looks at her with a frown, and Diana turns and places the pancake she’s cooking on top of the stack already on a plate before she carries it over to the table, and Trini hands Kimberly three plates before grabbing butter and syrup from the fridge.

As soon as they’re all seated, Diana looks at Kimberly with a sigh.

“I might have to leave soon on another mission, and I need to know that Trini will be safe. Every part of me is screaming not to go, but I know I’ll feel a lot better about leaving if I know she has you and the others here with her. Would your parents mind if you stayed here for a few days, or maybe a week? I’m more than happy to meet with them if they’re uncomfortable with it.” 

Kimberly takes a bite of a pancake as she shakes her head.

“They’ll be fine with it, don’t worry! They don’t worry so much about sleepovers, unless it’s at a guy’s place. They think they don’t have to worry if I’m at a girl’s place.” Kimberly says, and Trini can’t help but notice she says ‘think’. 

Apparently, so does Diana.

She exchanges a look with Trini before biting her lip to stop herself from smirking again, but Kimberly doesn’t notice as she slathers her pancake with syrup.

“Jason can probably come, too. I don’t think Zack would want to leave his mother, though. And Billy might be a bit tough as well, he doesn’t like sleeping somewhere other than his house.” 

“Two out of four is fine with me. Just as long as someone is with her.” Diana says, and Kimberly smiles.

“Then yeah, I’m definitely in. Jason probably won’t hesitate, either.” 

“Great. That makes me feel a lot better.”

“What’s the mission about?” Kimberly asks, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Don’t bother asking. I haven’t been able to get a word out of her for seventeen years.” 

Diana narrows her eyes at her and wrinkles her nose, and Trini grins at her before raising her glass of juice to her lips as Diana looks at Kimberly in wonder.

“So, Kimberly. Have you had any boyfriends in the past?”

Trini chokes on the juice she’s drinking, spluttering as Diana looks at her with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re supposed to drink it, not choke on it, Trinity.” She says, and then her attention is turned to Kimberly again as Trini gasps for air, her cheeks turning bright red as Kimberly laughs and nods, not even noticing Trini’s reaction.

“Yeah, one or two. I mean, if you count the time I ‘dated’, using the term loosely there, a boy when I was five, then three. But it only lasted a week, so I don’t count it.” 

“Were they good to you?” Diana asks, and Trini sinks down in her seat in order to get her feet across the table to Diana, but she sees it coming and stomps her foot on Trini’s lightly, stopping her in her tracks.

“My first boyfriend was. My second…not so much.”

“Oh really? What happened?”

“Let’s just say the relationship ended with me punching his tooth out. They put it back, though.” She adds quickly as an afterthought, and Diana nods, impressed.

“Hmm…what about girlfriends?” Diana asks, and Trini drops her fork onto the plate.

“Don’t break my Chinaware, Trini.” Diana sighs, and Trini looks up at her with wide, bulging eyes as Kimberly shrugs.

“I was popular for a while, so I had a lot of girlfriends-oh wait.” Kimberly seems to catch on to what Diana means, and Trini watches as Kimberly turns bright red and lowers her gaze down to her pancakes as she lets out a nervous chuckle.

“You mean…you mean ‘girlfriends’ like dating, right? Um, well…” Kimberly starts, and Trini clears her throat.

“Right, well! Um, you don’t have to answer that, I think question time is over-.” 

“Trini, it’s just a harmless question.” Diana says, and Kimberly looks at Trini with a smile.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

“It’s…it’s none of her business.” Trini mumbles, and Diana raises an eyebrow before she raises her hands in surrender.

“She’s right, it is none of my business, I’m sorry for prying. I was just making small talk. Forgive me.” 

“There’s nothing to forgive.” Kimberly says with a smile, and Diana watches her for a long moment and Trini just knows what she’s about to ask, so when Diana opens her mouth to say something, Trini’s foot strikes out and hits her thigh.

Diana grunts and clenches her jaw, looking at Trini with a glare, and Trini grins sheepishly as she sees Diana rub her thigh under the table, wincing in pain as she does. 

“What about you?” Kimberly asks. Diana looks at her in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Have you had any boyfriends in the past?” Kimberly asks, and Trini thinks Kimberly thinks she might be in for a treat, a story of many lovers and fairytale romances about to be told…

But when Diana smiles sadly and tears spring to her eyes, Kimberly looks at her in shock.

“Only one. But I lost him a long time ago.” She says softly. Trini feels her heart break, and Kimberly blinks rapidly before clearing her throat.

“I-I’m sorry for bringing it up-.”

“It’s okay. He’s actually the one who took me away from Themyscira. His plane crash landed on our island, and he told me about this Great War that was being fought…and I was young and so naïve I thought that it was Ares who was the cause of the war. Learning the truth about humanity…it was hard. But Steve made it better. I loved him…and he loved me. But ultimately, we both loved the world much more. His last words to me were ‘I can save today, but you can save the world’. I’ve carried that with me every day since. He sacrificed himself that day, blew a plane up filled with this gas that could destroy the world with himself in it…he was a brave man. An honorable one.”

Trini watches Kimberly looking at Diana, completely enraptured by her story, and Diana smiles and sniffs as she wipes her tears away with a chuckle.

“He was my first true love. But I had many other loves before him on Themyscira.” 

Kimberly looks at her in confusion.

“But I thought Themyscira was an island only of women-OH!” Kimberly gasps as her eyes go wide, and Diana chuckles.

“It is.” She says with amusement, and Kimberly looks at Trini with a grin.

“So you two have a lot more in common than you thought!” She says, and then she seems to realize what she’s said as her eyes go wide and she claps a hand over her mouth.

“Wait, shit! Shit, shit-.” Trini laughs and shakes her head.

“Don’t worry. She knows.” Trini tells her, and Kimberly looks at her in shock before she lets out a huge sigh of relief.

“Oh thank god, I thought I outed you then, I nearly had a heart attack!” Diana laughs.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ve known for a long time. Trini thought she was being sneaky, but she can’t keep secrets from me no matter how hard she tries. I know everything.” 

Trini rolls her eyes and stands, grabbing her plate and leaving the dining area to head to the kitchen.

She’s about to leave her plate in the sink when Diana suddenly yells out.

“You better wash it!” And Trini glares at her through the wall before reaching for the dish soap.

When she’s done, she heads back into the dining room to hushed tones and whispers as Diana touches Kimberly’s shoulder, and they both look up as Trini enters, Diana practically jumping away from Kimberly and avoiding Trini’s gaze.

Trini looks between them for a few moments and is about to ask what’s going on when Kimberly’s phone suddenly rings.

She frowns and grabs it from her pocket, and a second later, Trini’s phone is ringing as well.

“What the hell?” She grabs her phone and looks down just as she hears Kimberly scoff.

Trini reads the message and frowns the longer it goes on for.

_You have been invited to ‘Amanda Clark’s 18th Birthday Bash!’_  
_What’s up, bitches, time for us to celebrate! Whether I hate you or love you, I don’t care, I want this to be a night no one will ever forget! So get your asses to my house by seven tonight for the party of a lifetime! Woo!_

Trini looks at Kimberly, who smiles up at her weakly.

“Well, she did say ‘whether I hate you or love you’.” She says with a nervous chuckle. Trini frowns.

“Are you gonna go?”

“The whole school’s invited, I don’t know how she thinks she’s gonna pull this off-.”

“Kimberly.” Kimberly closes her eyes and takes a deep breath at the sound of her name, and Trini looks at Diana, who looks between them both with a look of confusion. 

“If…if you and Jason and Billy and Zack go…then yeah.” Trini looks at Diana.

“A party.” She says simply, and Diana frowns.

“Will there be alcohol?”

“Probably, but I’m not touching any of it.” Trini says, and Diana nods once.

“I know you’re not, so I’m okay with it. Are all of you going?” 

“I don’t-.” Trini’s phone buzzes about six times in a row, and so does Kimberly’s, and they both smile and look down to see the group chat has exploded.

_Go, Go Power Rangers! Group Chat:_  
_JayJay: So…are we going to this party tonight?_  
_BillyBoy: I don’t like parties._  
_ZackTaylorSwift: I do! We’re going right?_  
_ZackTaylorSwift: Girls, you’re awfully quiet! We’re going, right?_

Kimberly looks at Trini, who looks at Diana.

“Safe to say Zack’s going at least. Probably Jason as well.”

“If Jason’s going, then so is Billy.” Kimberly says.

“True. So yeah, we’re all going.” 

“Fine. But be home by midnight.” Trini raises an eyebrow, and Diana rolls her eyes.

“Fine. One.” Trini grins, and then types out a reply.

 _Trini’Fresh’Prince: Got the go ahead from WW._  
_KimbaSimba: Yeah, I’ll make an appearance._  
_ZackTaylorSwift: Yes! Time to let loose, bitches!_  
_Trini’Fresh’Prince: By the way, these nicknames are the worst._  
_ZackTaylorSwift: Don’t lie, you love them._

-

“If you feel like anything’s off at any point-.”

“Call you immediately. I know.” Trini says, rolling her eyes for fifth time in the last ten minutes, and Diana frowns and nods once.

“Okay. Have fun.” She leans in and presses a kiss to Trini’s hair, and Trini gives her a quick one armed hug before heading to the door.

Kimberly’s waiting in the car, Jason hanging his head out of the passenger side as he grins at her.

“You look good!” He calls out, and Trini laughs and nods.

“Sure.”

She’s wearing what she always wears, ripped jeans with a simple yellow tank top and a jacket over it, her hair braided on the side as always, but Jason is smiling at her supportively because he knows she’s not exactly excited about this.

Parties aren’t her thing.

But Kimberly wants to go, and Amanda Clark is her ex-best friend.

So Trini plans on sticking by her side and keeping her safe the entire night.

They pick up a hesitant Billy before picking up an overly excited Zack, and in no time they’re all heading to the houses over the mountains, to the house a few streets over from Kimberly’s to Amanda Clark’s house.

They can hear the music from two streets away, and Zack bounces up and down in his seat as he grins at Trini.

“You and I, my bestie, are gonna have a dance off.”

“You and I, my bestie, are so not.” Trini replies, and Zack pouts, but doesn’t respond as Kimberly parks the car and lets out a deep breath.

“Alright. Let’s do this.” She says, and Trini gives her shoulder an encouraging squeeze as Zack jumps out of the car cheering, and Jason grabs a groaning Billy and pulls him out of the car.

“If worse comes to worse, you and Billy can groan together.” Trini tells Kimberly, and she laughs quietly before nodding and stepping out of the car.

The party is in full swing when they enter Amanda Clark’s house, the hallway and living room filled with bodies, and Trini can see beer kegs at pretty much every corner of every room, some people dancing, some people simply talking, and Trini feels Kimberly grip her hand tightly as they make their way through the crowd.

Zack is, somehow, already dancing with a girl, a drink in his hand as he cheers, and Trini groans and looks at Kimberly in disbelief.

She has a feeling they’re gonna be dragging Zack out by the end of the night.

Billy and Jason are at the foosball table, playing against each other, and when Billy scores a goal, he claps his hands with excitement as Jason beams at him and holds his hand up for a high five. 

“If you told me a year ago that Jason Scott would be friends with Billy Cranston, I would’ve asked what drugs you were on. What the hell is he doing, man?” Trini hears someone say, and she turns to see a bunch of jocks watching Jason with disgust. She swallows down her anger and makes her way over to Jason and Billy, and Jason grins as Trini jumps onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her hands on his chest as he wraps his arms around her knees to hold her up.

“Hey! This party’s not so bad!” He yells over the music, and Trini nods, resting her head against his shoulder as Kimberly jumps over to Billy and wraps an arm around his neck with a grin.

“We gotta keep an eye on Zack.” Trini says into Jason’s ear, and he nods once, turning his head to look at her with a smile.

“I got him, don’t worry.” 

“A leader even outside of Ranger duties, huh?” Trini says, and Jason chuckles.

“Someone’s gotta be the responsible one.” 

Trini chuckles and jumps off his back, and when she looks up at sees that Kimberly is no longer with Billy, her heart drops.

“Billy, where’s Kim?” She asks, and he shrugs, his eyes not leaving the foosball table as Jason attempts to score a goal.

“I think she said she was gonna go get a drink or something.” 

Trini frowns, and before she can get a start on looking for Kimberly, Zack jumps over and ruffles her hair, laughing as he puts her in a chokehold.

“I told you this would be fun!” He exclaims, and Trini shoves him off, chuckling at the glee in his eyes.

“Don’t get too drunk, okay Zack?” She says, and Zack frowns.

“That’s what parties are all about, crazy girl!” He yells, and then he’s jumping back into the fray of dancing bodies and Trini looks at Jason, who frowns and looks up at Billy. 

“Play with Trini, alright? I gotta keep an eye on Zack.” 

“But Kim-.”

“Kimberly will be fine, Billy really doesn’t like crowds, Trini.” Jason says under his breath, and Trini sighs before nodding.

“Alright. I got him.” Billy watches Jason go with a frown and Trini grins at him, trying her best to push her worry for Kimberly down because Billy’s the one who needs her right now.

“Alright Billy, let’s see what you’ve got!” 

They play through five games, Billy kicking her ass every single time before Jason reappears with a very drunk Zack by his side, and Trini looks at him in shock as he looks up at her and shakes his head with a pant.

“I’ve gotta get him out of here, he’s wasted. Billy, do you wanna come with?”

“Yes, please.” Billy says without hesitation, and Trini looks at them with wide eyes.

“You don’t have a car!” Trini says, and Billy grabs Zack’s other arm and drapes it over his shoulder as Zack’s head lolls. 

“I’ve got Kimberly’s keys with me, I was gonna drive us home, anyway. Just call me when you want me to come pick you guys up. I’m probably gonna stay at Zack’s tonight after I drop Billy off back home.” 

“Alright. Get home safe. Message me.”

“I will!” Jason calls out before he drags Zack off, Billy helping him, and Trini feels awkward for a few moments standing there by herself before she takes a deep breath in and makes her way through the crowd looking for Kimberly.

She’s searching for half an hour straight before she feels herself really beginning to panic and she steps outside onto the balcony to get some fresh air when she finds Kimberly sitting on a chair swing set, swaying back and forth slowly as she stares blankly ahead, and Trini makes her way over to her slowly, apprehensively.

“Kim?” She asks softly. Kimberly looks up at her, and Trini can see her eyes are bloodshot and red from crying as she sniffs and wipes the tears on her cheeks away.

“Hey.” She croaks out, and Trini sighs before sitting down beside her.

And Kimberly chokes on a sob and falls against her, resting her head on Trini’s shoulder as she cries, and Trini rubs small circles onto her arm with a sigh, her cheek resting on top of Kimberly’s head.

“What happened?” Trini asks gently. 

“No, nothing, I swear, it’s just…I guess I’ve been repressing a lot of stuff lately, and when I drink I get emotional, so…” Kimberly slurs, and Trini frowns and looks down at her, and the smell of alcohol that hits her is strong.

“Are you drunk?” Trini asks, and Kimberly hiccups.

“A little.” She says, and Trini sighs.

“Let’s get you home.”

“No, please…” Kimberly grabs her by her jacket and tugs her back down, and it’s then that Trini realizes how cold Kimberly is, her bare arms freezing as she shivers and Trini takes off her jacket and wraps it around Kimberly tightly.

“You’re gonna be cold now.” Kimberly mutters, and Trini shrugs.

“It’s okay. Diana makes a kick ass chicken noodle soup when I get sick.” Kimberly chuckles, hiccups again and looks up at Trini sadly.

“I wish I had what you have with Diana with my mom. I can’t talk to her about anything.” She whispers. Trini sighs and nods once.

“She is one of a kind. Literally.” And Kimberly laughs again as Trini smiles fondly, then sighs again.

“But sometimes it’s hard to talk to her, too. She’s been in this world for a hundred years now, but I don’t think she’ll ever really understand us humans. We’re so fucking complicated, it’s not even funny.” Kimberly hiccups as she nods once, and when she looks up at Trini with a trembling bottom lip and fresh tears falling down her face, Trini’s heart breaks.

Before she can stop herself, she’s reaching up and brushing the tears from her cheeks with her thumb, and Kimberly blinks up at her slowly, her lips parting ever so slightly before she swallows loudly and licks her lips, eyes traveling all over Trini’s face.

“You’re so beautiful, Trin.” She whispers. Trini feels her heart pounding in her chest painfully as the heat rises in her cheeks, but she smiles and tucks a lock of hair behind Kimberly’s ear.

“You have no idea how beautiful you are, Kimberly Hart.” She whispers back. Kimberly blinks, sniffles a little before she leans a little closer to Trini. 

“How beautiful am I?” She whispers again, and Trini gulps as she moves closer, sitting up straight as her fingers suddenly fiddle with the hem of Trini’s shirt.

“Tell me.” Kimberly breathes, and Trini’s eyes roam her face as she suddenly moves over and around Trini until she’s straddling her, knees resting on either side of Trini as her hands grip Trini’s shoulders to steady herself.

“You’re so beautiful that…god, every time I see you, my heart aches and I feel like I can’t fucking breathe.” Trini says hoarsely, and Kimberly looks down at her, tears in her eyes before she swallows again, and then she’s leaning in and capturing Trini’s lips in a soft kiss.

And god, it’s everything Trini imagined it would be and more, her heart racing and tears falling before she can stop them as she rests her hands on Kimberly’s hips, fingers digging into her skin as Kimberly bites down on her lower lip ever so gently, eliciting a moan that Trini’s never heard escape her before as she deepens the kiss, desperately pulling Kimberly closer until she’s pressed right up against her, and Kimberly gasps against her lips before tangling her fingers into Trini’s hair, kissing her with bruising ferocity as Trini’s fingers roam to her lower back, skating over the skin underneath her shirt and Trini’s jacket, warm and heated-

When Kimberly breathes out against her, Trini smells the alcohol, and it’s like cold water being poured over her suddenly.

She pulls away and rests her forehead against Kimberly’s, and Kimberly tries to kiss her again, but Trini grips her wrists to stop her.

“Kim, you’re drunk.” She croaks out.

“I’m not that drunk.” Kimberly whines, but then she hiccups again and Trini sighs and shakes her head.

“I’m not doing this. Not when you’re drunk.” 

Kimberly pulls away, her expression turning stony.

“You don’t want me.” She says, and Trini groans.

“I do, god I do, more than anything, but you’re drunk, Kimberly. I’m not gonna be that fuck boy who kisses you when you you’re intoxicated.” Kimberly blinks rapidly.

“You can’t be a fuckboy. You’re a girl.” Trini rolls her eyes.

“You know what I mean.” Kimberly giggles, and Trini smiles before taking her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it.

“Come on. I’ll call Diana and tell her to pick us up.”

“Why? Where’s my car?” 

“Uh, well…Jason kind of took it. Zack is as wasted as you are.” Trini frowns and grabs her phone, shooting Jason a quick message asking him if everything’s okay, and Kimberly takes the opportunity to lean in and press a kiss to Trini’s neck while she’s distracted.

“Kimberly, stop it.” Trini says firmly, and Kimberly leans back with a pout.

“You’re no fun.” She whines, and Trini rolls her eyes for the second time and gently moves Kimberly off her, standing before she grabs Kimberly with one hand as she looks down at her phone just as it buzzes with a reply from Jason.

_Jason Scott (1)._  
_Everything’s okay. Billy got home safe, I’m with Zack now. Let me know when you and Kim get home._

Trini lets out a sigh of relief and sends him a quick reply before she dials Diana’s number, and Diana answers on the first ring.

“Trini? What happened?” Diana says immediately, and Trini sighs.

“Nothing, I’m fine, it’s just that Jason took Kimberly’s car and we don’t have a way home. Can you pick us up?”

“Of course. What’s the address?”

-

Kimberly passes out in the car on the way back home from the party, so Diana’s the one to lift her up and over her shoulder like she weighs nothing as she carries her into the house and puts her in the spare bedroom.

Trini sighs and takes Kimberly’s boots off before drawing the blanket over her, and by the time she’s done, Diana’s left and returned with a glass of water and pain relief, both of which she rests on the bedside table next to Kimberly. 

“I had a feeling her and Zack would be the ones to get drunk tonight.” Diana says with a frown, and Trini sighs and nods.

“Yeah. Guess they’ve both got a lot of shit going on, huh?”

“Mmm…”

“How was your night?” Trini asks. Diana shrugs.

“I made some food so you can have something to eat other than pizza while I’m gone. Then I spoke with Bruce, Arthur and Barry. Dinah was there, too.” Trini nods once, biting down on her bottom lip as Diana sighs.

“I’ll be gone by tomorrow night.” Trini nods again, and Diana squeezes her shoulder.

“I’ll try to come home as soon as possible.”

“I know.” 

They’re silent for a while, both of them watching Kimberly sleep before Trini suddenly blurts it out.

“She kissed me.” 

Diana doesn’t respond, but Trini’s pretty sure she can see Diana smiling from the corner of her eye.

“She’s drunk. It doesn’t count, right?” Trini asks, and she turns to look at her mother, desperate for an answer.

“I think…that if she says it counts, it counts. It’s something you have to talk to her about. Preferably when she’s sober.” Trini lets out a scoffed chuckle, and Diana smiles at her.

“What was it like?” She asks. Trini bites her lip to stop herself from grinning.

“Like I’d been asleep this entire time and I was finally waking up.” Trini whispers. Diana smiles, and then she hugs her, pressing a kiss to her hair.

“Don’t let her go, Trini. No matter what happens.” She mutters, and Trini nods once, looking down at Kimberly as she says her next words.

“I won’t. I promise.” Diana smiles and squeezes her hand.

“Come, you need rest, and I’m gonna be the one cuddling you tonight.” Trini chuckles, but lets Diana take her hand and lead her to her room. She changes into her pajamas and crawls under the blankets, and Diana comes in a second later in pajamas as well, curling up under the blankets and wrapping a protective arm around Trini tightly.

“Mom?”

“Mm?”

“I wish you didn’t have to go.” Trini whispers.

“I wish I didn’t have to go.” Diana whispers back. Trini wipes away her tears, and Diana runs her fingers through her hair.

“I hate that you’re Wonder Woman sometimes.” Trini grumbles, and Diana chuckles.

“I hate that you’re a Power Ranger sometimes.”

-

Trini’s woken up by the shrill sound of a phone ringing, and she groans and reaches behind her to grab her pillow before whipping it over her head and smashing it over Diana’s face to wake her.

“Your phone’s ringing!” She whines, and Diana groans and kicks her thigh.

“Ow.” She grumbles, and Trini sits up and glares down at her sleeping body before grabbing her phone to see it’s Bruce Wayne.

“Oh, great.” Trini mutters, but she answers the call nonetheless and is pleasantly surprised when Dinah Lance’s face pops up instead.

“Oh! Hey, kid! Long time no see.” She says, smiling at Trini kindly, and Trini simply smiles and gives her a brief wave.

“Hey, Dinah. Mom, Black Canary’s calling.” Trini teases, and Diana doesn’t respond, so Trini whacks her in the face with her pillow again.

“MOM!” She yells, about to whack her a third time before Diana’s hand snakes out and grabs her wrist.

“Do it again and you won’t be sleeping on pillows anymore.” Diana growls, and Trini grins at her as she sits up slowly with a yawn.

Trini holds the phone out to her.

“It’s Dinah.” Diana sighs and takes the phone, and Dinah’s laughing as she rubs her eyes tiredly.

“Hi, Dinah.”

“Hey yourself. You alright?” Trini leaves them to their conversation, heading down the stairs to the spare bedroom, and she knocks on the door gently before opening it. 

“Kim?” She calls out. 

Kimberly’s still fast asleep, but at the sound of her name, she stirs and wakes up, groaning as she grips her head and whines.

“Ow…” She moans, and Trini chuckles and makes her way over to Kimberly, sitting on the edge of the bed as Kimberly blinks up at her with a wince.

“Ugh, I feel like hammered shit.” She croaks out. Trini reaches for the bedside table and grabs the pain relief and the glass of water.

“Here.” Kimberly takes it from her and drinks the pills and the glass of water in almost one gulp, a happy sigh escaping her as she sinks back down against the pillows before looking up at Trini.

“What happened last night?” She asks hoarsely, and Trini feels her heart drop.

“You…you don’t remember?” Trini asks slowly, and Kimberly licks her lips as she frowns, rubbing her temples before she shakes her head.

“No, the last thing I remember is doing shots with Dave Carpenter, after that it’s just…blank.” Trini tries to hide her disappointment, but she feels the tears form in her eyes before she can stop them and she looks away from half a second to blink them away before smiling at Kimberly again.

“Yeah, you were pretty wasted. But don’t worry, I kept you safe.” Kimberly smiles.

“My knight in shining armor, huh?” She teases, and Trini chuckles, trying to ignore the fissures forming in her heart.

“Of course. Your knight in yellow shining armor.” Trini stands, because she can feel herself starting to break, and she starts making her way to the door as she clears her throat.

“I’m uh, I’m gonna make us breakfast and-.”

“Seriously?” Kimberly says. Trini turns to look at her and finds her sitting up and looking at Trini with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

“W-What?” Trini asks, confusion pounding through her as Kimberly scoffs.

“You’re just gonna walk away?” She demands. Trini blinks rapidly.

“I-I’m so confused…” She whispers, and Kimberly jumps up from the bed and marches over to her before standing in front of her and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Do you have selective memory?” Kimberly says coldly, and Trini shrinks against the door and pulls a face.

“Uh…no?” She says questioningly, and Kimberly’s eyes roam her face.

“I may have a hangover, but I will play games if you want to, Trini. I’m all for games. I love them.” 

Trini looks at her for a long time.

“We have a PlayStation in the living room-.”

“Wow.” Kimberly throws her arms up in exasperation and Trini does the same.

“What is happening?! I’m so confused right now!” Trini exclaims, and Kimberly glares at her.

“We kissed last night.” 

Oh.

Trini can feel her body heating up, can feel the blush forming on her cheeks as she splutters out a response.

“I-we-you-you just said you couldn’t remember anything from last night!” She manages to get out, and Kimberly rolls her eyes.

“I lied, you doofus. I wanted to see if you’d actually tell me how you feel for once instead of bottling it up like you always do! God, Trini, it’s been so obvious that there’s something between us! The boys see it, your mom sees it, I see it, but you, you don’t! Why don’t you see that I care about you the way you care about me?” 

Trini can’t think of a response because her mind is fried, and Kimberly sighs and moves toward her again.

“Last night wasn’t a mistake, Trini. Not by a long shot. I may have been drunk enough to have a hangover, but I wasn’t drunk enough to forget what happened. I think even if I had been, I wouldn’t forget. That kiss was…”

“Magical.” Trini finishes, her voice cracking slightly, and Kimberly smiles softly, biting down on her bottom lip at the memory of Trini’s lips on hers.

“Yeah. That’s definitely one word for it.” She says with a chuckle. Trini hesitates, and Kimberly moves forward again until she’s inches away from Trini, and Trini takes a sharp intake of breath in as she presses herself up against the door.

“Why can’t you open yourself up to this, Trini?” Kimberly whispers, and Trini licks her lips and shakes her head.

“I don’t know…” She whispers weakly, and Kimberly sighs and cups her jaw, fingers moving down her neck as she rests her lips against Trini’s forehead.

“I wish you could see yourself how I see you.” She says softly. Trini looks up at her, fingers gripping her elbows.

“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.” She says back, and Kimberly smiles. 

“How do you see me?” She asks, her voice hoarse, and Trini bites down on her lip as she leans up ever so slightly, lips brushing against the corner of Kimberly’s mouth-

“Girls?” There’s a knock on the door and Trini and Kimberly break apart as Diana opens the door, a smile on her lips as she looks between them both.

“Am I interrupting something?” She asks, eyebrow raised.

“No!” Trini and Kimberly yell at the same time, and Diana looks between them again, a knowing glint in her eyes.

“Well, uh…I’m leaving tonight, so Trini, I need you to call Jason and ask him to come over to stay with you. Kimberly, I’m guessing you’ll be staying, too?”

“Yeah.” Kimberly says, smiling at Diana, and Diana looks at Trini before looking back up at Kimberly.

“You’ll need to get some spare clothes and stuff, no? I’d like to spend the afternoon with my daughter going over some ground rules if that’s alright?”

“No of course, I’ll-I’ll call Jason and ask him to come pick me up now. Excuse me.” Kimberly exchanges a glance with Trini before she leaves the room, and Diana looks at Trini, arms crossing over her chest as Trini grins at her sheepishly.

“What?” 

Diana’s silent for a few moments.

“If you have sex with her under my roof-.”

“Stop talking, please.” Trini says immediately, her jaw clenching and her whole body burning bright red, and Diana raises an eyebrow and her index finger.

“Let me finish. If you have sex with her under my roof, I better not come home to a half destroyed house. Keep it tame, please.” 

“No one’s having sex, mom! Trust me…” Trini groans, and Diana seems to understand the double meaning behind it, because she frowns and steps forward.

“What’s wrong?” She asks, and Trini sighs.

“She sees right through me, all the time! It’s maddening!” She whispers, and Diana checks behind the door to see if Kimberly’s nearby before shutting it.

“What did she say?”

“Well, first she pretended not to remember what happened last night, and then she suddenly did remember and said she was pretending not to remember to see if I would admit my feelings for her and tell her about the kiss, but I didn’t, and she says that I’m stopping myself from opening up to her, and…I am. I one hundred percent am, but I don’t know why!” Trini exclaims, running a shaky hand through her hair. Diana listens intently, and Trini looks at her.

“The second that kiss happened, I felt like everything made sense. But I pulled away because she was drunk, or at least I told myself I pulled away because she was drunk…but what if that wasn’t the only reason?” She whispers.

Diana sighs and steps forward, cradling Trini’s face in her hands.

“You’re scared, Trini.” She says simply, and those three simple words make Trini cry out in relief.

“I’m fucking terrified.” She croaks out, and Diana smiles and nods.

“I know. And it’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to be terrified. You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t. But sometimes, even if we’re scared, we have to trust that regardless of what happens, we have it in us to keep going, to push through the fear. This is just a match igniting the flame, Trini. It’s up to you whether you turn it into a fire or let it whimper out and die.” 

Trini’s bottom lip trembles, and she bites down on it and nods once.

“Okay.” She says shakily. Diana smiles and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“You’ve got this. She cares about you. And you care about her. Sometimes that’s all you need. Time to free fall, Trini. Stop holding yourself back.” Trini nods, wiping her tears away as she lets out a nervous chuckle.

“I hate it when you’re right.”

“I’m Wonder Woman, I’m always right.” Diana says with a grin, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“I hate that you’re Wonder Woman sometimes.”

“I hate that you’re a Power Ranger sometimes.”


	3. there now, steady love, so few come and don't go (will you, won't you be the one I'll always know?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Look After You" by The Fray.
> 
> oh ho ho this is a doozy of a chapter, prepare for feels

“If anything, anything happens at all, you call me.”

“I got it.”

“I’m serious, Trini-.”

“I got it, mom.” Trini repeats with a roll of her eyes, and Diana sighs and nods once.

“Okay…”

They stand there in silence for a long time, both of them staring at each other and then Diana steps forward and takes Trini into her arms, sighing as Trini wraps her arms around Diana’s waist and holds her tightly.

“I love you.” She whispers. 

“I love you, too.” Trini whispers back. Diana presses a kiss to her hair before she pulls away with a smile, and then she looks behind Trini at Jason and Kimberly before holding her arms open. Kimberly walks forward with a smile and hugs her, and Jason joins in, Diana wrapping an arm around him with a chuckle.

“The same goes for you two. If Trini says not to call me, call me anyway.”

“You got it, Wonder Woman.” Jason says with a grin, and Diana rolls her eyes with a grin before ruffling his hair. She bends down to pick up her bag with a sigh, then grabs the door handle and blows a kiss to Trini. She catches it and pockets it with a smile, and Diana winks at her before she smiles and closes the door behind her.

The second Diana disappears from view, Trini can feel her heart beginning to pound and her hands beginning to sweat.

She clenches them, nails digging into her skin, and she hears Kimberly’s footsteps behind her before she trails her fingers down Trini’s forearm and grips her hand, interlacing their fingers.

“We’ve got you.” She says softly, and Trini nods once, swallowing the lump in her throat as she turns to Jason, who smiles and claps his hands together with excitement.

“So, Mortal Kombat?”

Billy comes over an hour later just as the sun sets, his mom dropping him off before work and Zack sends them a message telling them he wishes he could be there, but his mother still isn’t doing so great. Trini’s tempted to go to the trailer with the others to keep him company, but when she suggests it, Jason shakes his head.

“I don’t think Zack’s ready for that. He cried for an hour straight last night when he realized I was there.” He says sadly, and Trini bites her lip, and Jason sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

“It’s tough for him. She’s all he has left, but she’s not getting any better. I just…I don’t know what to do. All I could last night was hug him, and hold him, and tell him he was gonna be okay. I told him we’ve got his back when…if, she passes, but…there’s only so much we can do, you know? And she’s great…when I met her, she gripped my hand and smiled and thanked me for being Zack’s friend…the thought of him losing her…” Trini grips Jason’s hands, watches the tears in his eyes fall as he sniffs and she brushes them away with the back of her hand.

“You’re a good person, Jason Scott.” She whispers, and Jason smiles and presses a kiss to the back of her hand.

They spend the rest of the night alternating between playing video games and watching movies, Trini sitting in the middle of the couch with her legs crossed and Jason and Kimberly’s heads resting on either thigh as Billy sits between her legs, and when eleven o’clock rolls around, Billy stands and stretches with a groan before asking Jason if he can drop him off back home.

“Yeah, no problem. You girls will be okay without me, right?” Jason asks, and Kimberly grins at him.

“Oh definitely not. We’ll be damsels in distress until you return!” She says dramatically, resting the back of her hand against her forehead and fainting against Trini, who laughs loudly. Jason rolls his eyes and lunges forward, mussing up both of their hairs before he stands and grips Billy’s shoulders, squeezing them with a grin.

“Let’s go. I’ll be back!” He calls out as he leads Billy to the front door. Trini holds a hand up in response, and when the door shuts behind him, Kimberly chuckles and runs a hand through her hair before looking at Trini with a soft smile.

“We’re alone.” She says, her voice low, and Trini can feel her carotid artery pounding against her neck as a shiver runs up her spine.

“Yup.” She says, her voice cracking slightly, and she flushes red and clears her throat as Kimberly chuckles before leaning in slowly.

Her first kiss is soft, lips simply brushing against Trini’s before she runs her fingers through Trini’s hair and hums against her, and Trini’s the one to deepen the kiss, hands gripping Kimberly’s hips and pulling her forward while her heart pounds against her eardrums, and Kimberly pushes her down to lie flat on the couch as she crawls between Trini’s legs.

A hand glides down Trini’s leg before it grips her knee, and Kimberly lifts her leg and hooks it over her body, tongue gliding across Trini’s bottom lip and making her head spin wildly and she’s pretty sure she could keep doing this for the rest of her life and she’d be perfectly content-

There’s the sound of a phone ringing loudly, and Kimberly pulls away, resting her head against Trini’s forehead as she chuckles lightly.

“That’s yours.” She says hoarsely, and Trini nips at her bottom lip.

“Ignore it.” She whispers, and Kimberly groans, kissing her harshly and biting down on her bottom lip until she whines and pulls away with a shake of her head.

“It could be your mom.” She croaks out, and Trini sighs before nodding once, and Kimberly smiles as she moves off her, fingers touching her own bottom lip with a wide grin.

Trini sits up and grabs her phone from her pocket to see Diana’s caller ID picture, and she answers it quickly.

“Hey.”

“Hey. I just arrived. How are things at home?”

“Yeah, good. Everything’s fine here.”

“Are Jason and Kimberly still there?”

“Sure are.” Kimberly says, and Diana chuckles.

“And Jason?”

“He’s just dropping Billy off home. He’ll be back soon.” 

“Alright. How are you feeling?” Trini looks at Kimberly, and she smirks, raising an eyebrow as Trini bites down on her bottom lip to stop herself from grinning.

“I’m good.”

“Are you sure? You sound a bit strange-oh…” Diana trails off, and Trini groans and stands, moving away from Kimberly so she can’t hear their conversation.

“Did I interrupt something?” Diana asks, and Trini can practically see the smirk that must be on her face in her mind.

“No, you didn’t.” She says through gritted teeth, and Diana laughs loudly. 

“Remember what I said about breaking the house!” She scolds playfully, and Trini can feel herself turning bright red as she looks away from Kimberly and faces the wall.

“I hate you.” Trini grumbles.

“No you don’t. And go to bed! You have school tomorrow!” 

“I will, geez!”

“Stay safe.” And Trini sighs, worry getting the better of her.

“Yeah, you too.” She whispers, and she hears Diana sigh on the other end of the phone before she ends the call. 

Hands snake around her waist, and Trini sighs and leans back against Kimberly as she rests her head against Trini’s shoulder.

“Everything okay?” She asks gently, and Trini nods, gripping her hands with her own.

“Yeah. I’m just worried about her.”

“She’ll be okay. She’s Wonder Woman.” 

“Yeah…” Kimberly chuckles and presses a kiss to the back of her head.

"That photo is cute." She says, and Trini frowns.

"What photo?" 

"The caller ID for Diana."

"Oh."

"Can I see it?" Trini nods once, grabs her phone and pulls the photo up, and Kimberly looks at it with a warm smile.

It's a picture of Diana and Trini when she was about seven or eight, Trini sitting in Diana's lap with a gigantic grin on her face, her two front teeth missing as her tongue pokes out of the hole and Diana is holding her from behind, laughing and squishing her face against Trini's as one arm is holding the camera out to take the photo.

"It's so cute." Kimberly whispers, and Trini smiles.

"It's one of my favorite photos with her." She says, and Kimberly smiles as Trini looks at her, a smile also playing on her lips as she leans up onto the tips of her toes and kisses her. 

Kimberly chuckles against her lips, hands reaching up to run through her hair.

“You’re so short.” She teases, and Trini pulls away with a glare as Kimberly laughs loudly.

“Look, I get it enough as it is with having a mother that’s taller than the leaning tower of Pisa, alright?” Kimberly raises her hands in surrender.

“Alright, sorry.” She says with a grin, and Trini growls under her breath before leaning up and kissing her cheek. 

“Hey, you never told me what happened last night?” Trini says, and Kimberly looks at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh, we kissed?” She says, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“No, I mean before we kissed. Why you were almost passed out drunk sitting on a swing by yourself and crying?” Kimberly’s smile fades, and her expression turns stony as she narrows her eyes.

 

“Right.”

“We don’t have to talk about it-.”

“No, it’s okay.” Kimberly sighs and turns back to sit down on the couch, and Trini follows her, sitting down beside her and watching her carefully.

Kimberly hesitates before she nods once to herself and turns to look at Trini.

“I found Amanda at the party last night. I told her I was sorry for everything that’s happened and she told me she didn’t forgive me, but that she wanted to put it all in the past. And then we had a shot together, and I thought that maybe, just maybe…we’d be okay again. But then Ty came over and he asked me what I was even doing there, and Amanda told him she invited me, and Ty said ‘why would you invite this slut? She ruined your life’ and then I yelled at him and told him to tell her the truth, that it was him who shared the photos, not me. Then Amanda got angry at me and told me to fuck off, and I did, and well…cue the drinking.” 

Trini sighs and shakes her head, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

“That’s not fair. I’m sorry that happened.”

“S’okay. I think it’s time for me to accept the fact that me and Amanda aren’t ever gonna be friends again. That part of my life is over.”

“Are you sad that it is?” Trini asks, and Kimberly smiles lightly.

“A little. I think I just miss being friends with her more than anything. Amanda was my best friend for over six years, I thought I could trust her with everything, you know? I just…sometimes I miss having someone to talk to.”

“You can talk to us, you know…” Trini mumbles, and Kimberly smiles.

“I know. But-.”

“It’s not the same.” Trini finishes, and Kimberly nods once.

“It’d be nice to have someone outside of the Rangers to talk to.” 

“Yeah…I know what you mean. I mean, I have my mom, but she’s a superhero too, so, talking with her is like talking to you guys, really.” Kimberly chuckles, and Trini smiles and reaches out, touching her forearm gently.

“You don’t need them, Kim. I much prefer this shorter haired, kick-ass Kimberly than the long haired head cheerleader who was a bitch to everyone.” Kimberly looks at her with mock surprise.

“You thought I was a bitch?” She exclaims, and Trini laughs.

“Big time.” Kimberly narrows her eyes before she gives her a wicked grin and lunges forward, hands gripping Trini’s ribs and tickling her, and Trini yelps out and attempts to fight her off.

“No! No, wait, I’m ticklish-.”

“I know!” Kimberly says, laughing as Trini whines and attempts to push her away as she laughs against her will. 

“Truce! Truce!” Trini yelps, and Kimberly laughs and finally lets her go, and Trini gasps for air and grips her sore stomach before letting out a deep breath.

“We’ve gotta talk about that kiss.” She manages to get out, and Kimberly chuckles.

“Which one?” Trini rolls her eyes.

“The first one.” 

“Ah.”

It’s silent for a few moments.

“What are we?”

“Power Rangers.”

“Kimberly-.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I’m not good at talking about this stuff.”

“And you think I am?” Trini says, laughing nervously. Kimberly bites down on her lip and sighs.

“I don’t wanna screw this up. You mean a lot to me, Trini.” She says softly. Trini smiles and grips her hand in her own.

“You mean a lot to me, too.” 

“I just can’t help but think that if this goes wrong, if I screw up, it’s gonna fuck everything up with the others.”

“What makes you so sure you’re gonna be the one to screw things up?” Trini mutters, and Kimberly laughs humorlessly.

“Have you met me?” She says sarcastically. 

“Yeah, I have.” Trini bites back, and Kimberly grins.

“Thoughts?”

“Eh, you’re pretty hot, I’ll give you that.” 

“I actually hate you.” 

“No you don’t.” Kimberly grins, and then she’s shifting, moving onto her knees and straddling Trini as she rests her hands on her shoulders, and Trini’s thrown back to the previous night, and Kimberly watches her with a raised eyebrow as her eyes move down to Kimberly’s lips, slightly swollen and red from their previous kiss and she fights the maddening urge to reach up and touch them, to kiss them again, to claim them as her own, make them even more bruised-

“How about…we take things slow?” She breathes. Trini bites down on her own lip and clenches her fists, resting them on the couch to stop herself from touching Kimberly.

Two can play at this game.

“Slow?” Trini says hoarsely, and Kimberly nods, leaning down closer to her.

“I mean…we can touch each other, and kiss each other…” She breathes, leaning in to brush her lips against Trini’s jaw, and Trini can’t help the shudder that goes up her spine as her heart pounds against her chest.

“Mmm…” She says instead, and Kimberly chuckles in her ear. 

“But we’re not…exclusive.” Trini frowns at that, and Kimberly seems to sense it because she pulls back and looks at Trini with a small smile. 

“At least not for the first few weeks. Just in case I…we, screw things up, you know? That way we were never officially dating and uh, things don’t get weird.” 

Trini stares at her for a very long time.

“Kimberly, are you bisexual?”

Kimberly freezes beneath her, and the look in her eyes says it all.

“You’re not out to your parents yet, are you? That’s why you don’t wanna say anything.” Kimberly watches her carefully, and then she’s scoffing in disbelief and shaking her head.

“How the hell do you just see right through me?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Trini says with a chuckle, and Kimberly sighs before looking at her sadly.

“I’m scared to come out to them. I know they’re not gonna be as accepting as Diana.” 

“I know. Don’t worry, we can keep this a secret from everyone. I promise.”

“It’s not just that, Trini. I am scared about screwing this up. I don’t wanna ruin what we already have.” Kimberly says softly, and Trini shakes her head.

“Then we’ll take this as slow as you want and when you’re ready, we’ll make it official. Just as long as I get to keep kissing you.” Trini says with a grin, and Kimberly grins widely before leaning down and kissing her fiercely, a quick kiss that’s filled with fiery passion as she pulls away breathlessly.

“You’re actually amazing, you know that?”

“I try.” Trini finally allows her hands to move, gliding along Kimberly’s thighs and she really wishes the denim covering Kimberly’s tan skin would disappear right now so she could really feel her, the goosebumps that erupt on her skin at Trini’s touch, the scar that Trini’s seen above her knee that she got from training on their first day…

“I wanna be sure.” Kimberly mutters, and Trini nods.

“Me, too.” Kimberly smiles, then pulls back and bites on her lip.

“But I should tell you…Jason knows that we kissed last night.”

“What?” Trini yells, and Kimberly sighs.

“I had to talk to someone! When he picked me up this morning, we talked about it, and he told me not to hurt you and he’s probably gonna tell you not to hurt me.”

“Why is he actually our big brother?” Trini mumbles, and Kimberly laughs.

“He’s just looking out for us. But he said we should take things slow, and that we shouldn’t rush it and well, he’s right. But he’s the only person who knows, I told him if he said anything to Billy or Zack I’d knock his tooth out, and he told me he knows I can do it because of Ty, so…” Trini groans.

“When Zack finds out, we’re never gonna hear the end of it.”

“Nope.”

“Fuck.”

“So just Jason knows, right? That’s it.” Kimberly says, and Trini hesitates and bites down on her lip.

“Uh, well…my mom knows, too.” Kimberly’s eyes widen.

“What?” She chokes out.

“Well, what?! Jason’s your person, Diana’s mine.” Trini says, and Kimberly groans.

“Great, I’m fooling around with Wonder Woman’s daughter and she knows about it.” 

-

Trini can’t sleep.

Kimberly’s breathing lightly beside her, eyes closed and mouth slightly hanging open, and after watching her sleep for about ten minutes with a smile on her face, Trini had finally decided to turn over and attempt to get some sleep.

Except it’s not happening.

Every time she closes her eyes, Rita’s glowing green eyes flash before her eyelids, and it’s like she can feel her cold fingers gripping her neck, squeezing the air out of her lungs as her tongue glides across Trini’s face, tasting her, drinking her in-

Trini throws the covers off herself, breathing heavily, and Kimberly stirs beside her.

“Trini?” She mumbles sleepily, and Trini swallows the lump in her throat and blinks the tears away.

“S-Sorry, go back to sleep.” She whispers.

Diana isn’t here. And Kimberly is, sure, but Diana isn’t, and what if something happens, what if she gets attacked, no one’s here to help her, what if someone hurts Jason downstairs, or Kimberly right beside her-

“Trini, what is it?” Kimberly’s sitting up now, awake and alert as she rubs Trini’s back gently, and Trini can feel the sweat forming on her body as she tries her best to breathe, wincing in pain each time air whistles down her throat into her lungs with a squeeze.

“I can’t-I can’t breathe-.” Trini gasps out, and Kimberly’s jumping out of her bed and hooking her hands under Trini’s shoulders, lifting her up off the bed and gripping her hands from behind as Trini’s back rests against her chest.

“Shh, it’s okay, I’ve got you, just breathe in through your nose-.”

“I can’t!” She’s sobbing now, desperately clinging to Kimberly and she hears the sound of pounding footsteps before there’s a knock at the door.

“Guys?” Jason calls out.

“Get in here!” Kimberly yells, and Jason opens the door and looks at them with wide eyes before he runs forward.

“What’s wrong?”

“She’s having a panic attack.” Kimberly says, her voice dripping with concern, and Jason frowns as Trini feels her head spin, her body aching as she trembles-

“Trini, we’ve got you, okay? We’re right here.” Jason grips her forearms, a hand brushing across her forehead and Trini draws in a shaky breath as Jason grips her tightly.

“Watch me, watch me.” He says softly, and Trini focuses her attention on Jason’s bright blue eyes as he breathes in through his nose and then out through his mouth, and when the air hits her face, the smell of mint toothpaste hitting her, Trini finally finds herself focusing instead on her own breathing as she copies him, closing her eyes and breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth…

“There you go, keep going, in…out…” Jason whispers, and Trini can feel her heart beginning to slow down, her body beginning to relax against Kimberly’s chest as her grip on Jason’s arms eases slightly.

“Good…good.” Trini opens her eyes to see Jason smiling at her softly, his fingers drawing calming circles onto her forearms as he nods.

“Keep breathing, alright?” He says, and Trini nods once.

“How did you know?” Kimberly asks him from behind Trini, and he sighs.

“I felt it. I think when we’re close to each other, we can feel each other’s emotions. I woke up and I just felt panic.” 

“That happened to me a few days ago, too.” Kimberly says, and Jason frowns.

“Were you near her?” He asks, and Trini can feel Kimberly’s hesitation.

“Uh, well…” And Jason raises an eyebrow at her as he smirks.

“I think your connection with Trini is a bit stronger.” He teases, and Trini groans.

“Hi, still in mid-panic attack, not helping.” She manages to get out.

“Right, shit, sorry.” 

“Maybe it’s this room, Trin. Maybe if we sleep in your mother’s room, it’ll help.” Kimberly says, and Jason nods once.

“That might help. Would your mom mind?” Trini shakes her head, and Jason smiles before holding out his hand.

“Come on.” 

Trini grips his hand and he leads her out of the room, Trini walking on shaking legs as she points to the room across the hall and Jason takes her there.

Diana’s room is gigantic, her bed taking up most of the middle of the room and Jason whistles in appreciation.

“I’m in Wonder Woman’s room.” He says in awe, and Kimberly slaps his arm.

“Focus.” She says. 

“Right. Got it.” Jason mumbles, and he leads Trini over to the bed. Trini clambers on top of it, having to jump up because the bed is huge and she can barely climb on top of the mattress, and as soon as Diana’s scent hits her, a mixture of her shampoo and something that is so purely Diana that Trini can’t even begin to describe it, Trini can feel her whole body suddenly relax as fatigue hits her.

“Oh, whoa, that’s…that’s helping.” She says, leaning against the pillow and sniffing it with a smile. 

“Good thinking, Kim.” Jason says, and Kimberly smiles fondly.

“I learned that from my Dad. When I was a kid and my mom would go to India to visit her family, I used to cry for hours because of how much I missed her. My Dad would get a piece of her clothing and put it in my bed, and as soon as I smelled her scent, I’d calm down and fall asleep. It’s like a trigger for comfort. As soon as you smell your mother’s scent, you just…relax.” 

Trini smiles sleepily, and Jason chuckles as he leans down and brushes her hair back from her sweaty forehead.

“Do you want us to stay?”

“No, you guys can go back to sleep. I’m sorry I woke you.” She says softly, and Jason shakes his head.

“Don’t even apologize. I’m glad we could help.”

“Call us if you need us, okay?” Kimberly says, and she turns to walk away, but Trini reaches out and grabs her hand.

“Stay.” She whines, and Jason grins widely.

“Yeah, Kimberly. Stay.” He says, and Kimberly glares daggers at him.

“Oh, go put a shirt on.” She says flippantly.

Jason leaves the room, still chuckling to himself as Kimberly climbs into the bed and curls up beside Trini.

“Feeling better?” She asks her, and Trini nods.

“A lot better.” She says, and Kimberly smiles and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Go to sleep, pretty girl.” She whispers, and Trini smiles.

“You think I’m pretty?” She asks, her eyes drooping as the fatigue finally gets to her, and Kimberly chuckles.

“I think you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen, Trini Prince.”

-

“So what’s your mom’s super top secret mission about?”

Trini sighs and moves to the side as Kimberly begins digging in her locker for her own books, and she throws a look at Zack, who’s watching her with a wide grin as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the other lockers.

“I don’t know, Zack. She never tells me what her missions are about, it’s too risky.”

“Lex Luthor being a douchebag again?” Trini shrugs.

“Probably.”

The bell rings loudly, and Jason sighs and claps Billy on the shoulder.

“Come on, man. We’ve got English. And Zack, you better go to Gym class.” He says sternly, and Zack rolls his eyes.

“Sure thing, boss man. Gym class is actually fun now, I kick everyone’s ass at track and I get a lot of attention. Good attention.” He says, watching as two girls walk past and give him a look as Zack winks at them.

“You are unbelievable.” Kimberly says with a roll of her eyes, and Trini laughs as Zack looks at her incredulously.

“What?! I’ve got game, Kimmy!”

“Sure thing, Zack!” She calls over her shoulder as she begins making her way to class, and Zack looks at Trini with a pout.

“I’ve got game, right?” He says, and Trini ruffles his hair.

“Sure thing, Zack.” She repeats. 

“You coming?” Kimberly yells out to her, and Trini gives Zack another grin before running after Kimberly to head to Biology. 

But she barely makes it through the door before Miss Steinhardt is looking at her as she enters with a stern look on her face.

“Trini, the Principal wants to see you immediately.”

Everyone lets out a big ‘ooooh’ sound, and Trini frowns and exchanges a glance with Kimberly, who looks at her with concern.

“I’m sure you can detach yourself from Miss Hart for a few minutes to see the Principal, Miss Prince.” Miss Steinhardt says, and Trini can feel herself turning bright red before she turns and leaves the room. 

She makes her way to the office, going over what she could possibly be in trouble for in her head and when she enters the office, she finds Amanda exiting it.

Amanda smirks at her.

“Have fun.” She says coldly, and then she’s leaving, and Trini watches her go in shock.

What the hell was that about?

“Trini. The principal is waiting.” The receptionist says, and Trini makes her way toward Principal Feige’s office, genuine fear starting to grip her.

She knocks once before entering, and he looks up at her entrance, a cold look on his face as he sees who it is.

“Sit down.” He says firmly, and Trini squares her shoulders and walks over to the chair in front of his desk.

Screw this. She’s a Power Ranger and her mother is Wonder Woman, the Principal doesn’t scare her.

“Do you know why you’re here, Trini?”

“No?” He frowns and stands up, and Trini can see the anger in his eyes as he rests his palms on top of his desk.

“Well, Miss Prince, about three weeks ago, we discovered that a door had been removed from one of the lockers. It had been ripped off its hinges before being thrown into an empty classroom, where it hit a three thousand dollar projector and caused irreparable damage.”

Shit.

“We’ve been trying to find the culprit to no avail. We even questioned Kimberly Hart, who the defaced locker belonged to, but she told us she found it like that. So imagine my surprise when I find video evidence of you throwing a locker door into an empty classroom before running off with Miss Hart before you got caught.” 

…Shit.

“Video evidence?” Trini says slowly, and Principal Feige glares at her before pulling out a phone and showing it to her.

“Press play.” He says. Trini leans forward and taps the play button on the screen and sure enough, the video shows her walking down the hallway with Kimberly’s locker door in her hand, only her back showing, and she hears herself say ‘you don’t need a locker’ before she’s throwing it into an empty classroom, where it clangs loudly, and then her and Kimberly exchange a look before they’re running down the hallway and around the corner, out of sight.

“A student showed me this video this morning.” Principal Feige says, and Trini groans internally.

Amanda.

Trini stares at the phone for a long time before clearing her throat.

“Well, no offence, Mr. Feige, but all I saw was the back of two people, you don’t even know that that’s me.” Trini says with a sheepish smile, and Principal Feige glares at her.

“I don’t think you understand the magnitude of the trouble you’re in, Miss Prince.” Trini sighs and falls back against her chair as Principal Feige walks around his desk and leans against it, looking at her with his arms crossed over his chest.

“This is a small town, getting funding is hard enough as it is! Three thousand dollars is a lot of money! Now, I’m sure it might not be a lot of money for you, I’m sure your mother is a super model or something-.”

“She’s not a super model.” Trini says through clenched teeth, her blood boiling with anger and Principal Feige scoffs.

“You don’t think I’ve seen you show up to school in a Ferrari, Trini? Whatever your mother does, the point is, you have money. This town doesn’t. So when something worth three thousand dollars is damaged, I don’t take it very lightly.” 

“You have no proof that it’s me.” Trini says stubbornly, and Principal Feige raises an eyebrow.

“Kimberly Hart is never seen without you by her side, and I’m not blind, no one else at this school looks like you, Miss Prince.” Trini sighs.

“Did you even bother to see what was written on the locker? Are you gonna do something about that? They were telling Kimberly to go kill herself! They’re bullying her and you’re doing nothing about it!” Trini exclaims, and Principal Feige sighs.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t bring you in here to talk about Kimberly Hart, I brought you in here to talk about you causing irreparable damage to school property. There has to be consequences for this.”

“So what, you’re gonna expel me?” Trini says offhandedly, despite the fact that she’s almost shaking from how nervous she is, and Principal Feige removes his glasses and cleans them on his shirt before putting them back on.

“No, I’m not. Instead, I’m going to call your mother and have her come here so we can figure out the appropriate punishment together.”

“Yeah well, good luck, she’s not in town. Business trip.” Trini grumbles, and Principal Feige sighs.

“When will she be back?”

“I don’t know. These trips can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Why do you need her to be here anyway, since when does a Principal need to decide punishment with a parent’s help?” Trini says, frowning in confusion, and she watches as Principal Feige turns bright red.

“I-we-this school is different from other schools.” He stammers, and Trini glares at him.

“Or you’re just looking to get my mom in here so you have a bit of a stare, right?” She growls and he turns impossibly redder.

“You’re out of line, Miss Prince!” He hisses, and she scoffs in disbelief.

“Un-fucking-believable. You know, I get it, my mom is gorgeous, but she’s more than just her beauty, so forgive me for getting a little defensive when all anyone ever seems to want to do is stare at her ass!” Trini growls through clenched teeth, and Principal Feige slams his palm down onto the desk suddenly, causing Trini to jump.

“Enough! Your punishment will be detention every Saturday with the rest of the rejects from this school for the rest of the school year! You miss a single one, you don’t graduate! Now get the hell out of my office!” He yells, and Trini jumps up, grabbing her bag and glaring at him angrily.

“You should win Principal of the Year, Mr. Feige.” She says sarcastically, and she makes her way over to the door.

“By the way, don’t bother calling my mom and telling her about this, if she finds out why you really wanted to call her here, she’d kick your ass. And I tell my mother everything.” She calls over her shoulder, and she slams the door shut behind her with so much force that the entire wall shakes and the glass cracks.

She rushes out of the office as fast as she can after that, anger still pulsating through her, but she’s pretty sure if Diana was here, she’d be proud.

Trini doesn’t bother going back to Biology, instead making her way to the bleachers on the football stadium, and she isn’t even remotely surprised to find Zack there, lying down on one of the bleachers as he looks up at the clouds on the sky.

“Sup, crazy girl!” He calls out as soon as he sees her, sitting up with a grin.

“I got in on Saturday detention now.” She sighs, and Zack laughs loudly.

“No way! How’d you manage that?” He asks as Trini sits down beside him.

“Someone recorded me ripping off Kimberly’s locker door and throwing it into a classroom. Apparently I broke an expensive projector.”

“Shit…nice job.” Zack says with a chuckle, and Trini sighs again before looking at him.

“Looks like all the Rangers are in Saturday detention now.” She grumbles, and Zack grins.

“Yeah well, at least your reason is more badass than ‘skips too many classes’.” Zack says, and Trini winces.

“Yeah, but you’re looking after your mom, it’s not your fault. I just-.”

“Saw your girl being mistreated and took action?” Zack says, and Trini looks at him with wide eyes as he smirks at her.

“What?”

“Oh come on, crazy girl, I’m not blind. You totally like Kimberly.” He teases, bumping her shoulder with his own, and Trini shoves him, not at all lightly.

“Shut up.” She grumbles, and Zack chuckles before looking out onto the stadium with a sigh.

“How’s your mom?” Trini asks eventually, and Zack’s gaze drops down to his feet.

“Not great. Could be better.” He mutters. Trini grips his hand in her own, squeezing his fingers gently.

“We’re here for you, okay?” She says softly.

“Yeah, I know.” Zack says, a small smile on his face as he squeezes her hand back before looking up at her with tears in his eyes.

“I’m just sad. I don’t wanna lose her.” He says gruffly, sniffing back his tears, and Trini rests her head against his shoulder.

“I know.” She whispers, trying her best not to cry. Zack lets out a deep breath before he suddenly chuckles and rests his cheek on top of Trini’s head.

“You know, if you weren’t gay and totally in love with Kimberly, we’d make a cute couple.” 

“Zack?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

-

Trini doesn’t tell Kimberly about Amanda being the one to give the video to Principal Feige, simply tells her someone recorded it and now she’s got Saturday detention.  
Kimberly is hell bent on finding out who it is, but Trini simply takes her hand and tells her it’s not worth it. 

Kimberly drives them back to Trini’s place after dropping Billy and Zack home after training, and Jason heads straight to the shower as soon as they get there, nursing a bruised hip and a bloody nose that Kimberly proudly gave him, and she’s still walking with a bit of a swagger, happy to have brought the fearless leader of the Power Rangers down a peg.

Trini looks down at her phone with a frown, still noticing that Diana hasn’t called her at all, and Kimberly watches her with concern.

“Call her yourself.” She says, and Trini sighs before tapping Diana’s number and raising the phone to her ear as Kimberly makes her way into the living room.

It rings for a long time before Diana’s voicemail begins, and Trini sighs as she waits for the beep.

“Hey, mom, it’s just me. Um…everything’s okay here, but, I miss you, and-.”

“TRINI!” She jumps in shock before running toward the living room, and she finds Kimberly watching the TV with a horrified expression.

“What?” Trini says, her heart pounding as she turns her attention to the TV.

And then her heart stops altogether.

A gigantic building is on fire, flames and smoke going up in plumes as Trini sees the burning planet above the building before it hits her that it’s the Daily Planet, the journalist building in Metropolis as she reads the headline at the bottom of the TV.

_“METROPOLIS ATTACK LIVE COVERAGE: OVER THREE HUNDRED FEARED DEAD IN EXPLOSION AT DAILY PLANET”_

“Trini, listen.” Kimberly says, and Trini grabs the remote from the coffee table and raises the volume on the TV as a news reporter talks, a look of terror on his face as he stands in front of the burning Daily Planet building.

_“Kelly, we have no idea what the cause of the explosion was, all we know is that the entire building has gone up in smoke and that there are people trapped inside-.”_

There’s loud bangs suddenly echoing throughout the place as the reporter jumps and the camera goes haywire, and Trini is watching in shock as the cameraman adjusts himself and focuses now on the burning building as the reporter begins yelling.

 _“Kelly, we just heard a plane fly overheard, and Batman has just landed beside us-.”_ The camera suddenly focuses, and Trini sees Bruce Wayne standing in his alternate persona, looking up at the building with a scowl evident on his face despite the mask covering it, and then there’s Barry Allen appearing with a streak of lightning, his red outfit still sparking as he comes to a stop beside Bruce-

“Trini.” Kimberly grips Trini’s hand as soon as Diana comes into the shot, landing gracefully as she looks up at the building in concern.

_“Kelly, I don’t know if you can see that, but the Justice League has just arrived-.”_

_“Move back!”M_ Diana barks at the reporter, and then she’s pulling out her lasso and circling it in the air as it glows in her hands, golden and shining against the flames before she’s jumping and crashing through a window and into the building, and then Barry disappears with a flash of lightning and Bruce is using his grappling hook to get into the building as well.

 _“Back to me, back to me!”_ The reporter hisses, and the camera moves back, blurred and unfocused for a few moments before the reporter comes back into focus.

_“Kelly, the Justice League has arrived, they are here at the Daily Planet in an attempt, I guess, to save as many lives as they can-.”_

Trini watches as the headline at the bottom of the TV changes.

_“DAILY PLANET IN FLAMES: JUSTICE LEAGUE FIGHTS TO SAVE LIVES IN MASSIVE EXPLOSION”_

“She’s gonna be okay, Trini.” Kimberly says softly. Trini squeezes her hand so tightly that Kimberly shifts beside her, but she doesn’t do anything, just holds her as she watches the TV with rapt attention.

She watches as Diana crashes through a window out of the building with a red haired woman in her arms, and she sets her down before charging back into the building. 

Meanwhile, Barry has already saved at least over a hundred people, zooming in and out of the building with insane speed as Diana and Bruce try their best to work as fast as they can.

“Come on, mom…” Trini whispers, trying her best to block out the reporter saying that the building looks like it’s on the verge of collapse as the flames continue to grow-

And then there’s an explosion that causes loud screams to sound out for half a second before the camera goes dead, and then the camera is cutting instead to the inside of a studio as a reporter behind the desk looks on in shock.

_“Uh, I’m not…I’m not sure what happened there ladies and gentlemen-.”_

Trini whimpers, grips the remote in her hands and changes the channel, flipping through to find coverage of the explosion, for a hint of red and blue-

_“Jordan, there has been a third explosion here at the Daily Planet, I repeat, there has been a third explosion, the Justice League were inside the building as the explosion happened-.”_

“No, no, no, no, no-.” Trini falls to her knees, her whole body trembling as Kimberly falls down beside her.

“We don’t know anything yet, Trini, shh…” 

_“Jordan, oh my god, are you seeing this?!”_

And Trini watches as the whole building collapses from the view of the helicopter that’s holding the cameraman recording the incident, the whole building falling apart and crumbling to the ground as the flames burn higher-

“NO!” Trini’s crawling toward the TV and gripping it in her hands, prepared to crawl through it in order to get to Metropolis, and Kimberly grabs her and pulls her back-

“Trini-.”

“MOM!”

“What’s going on?” Trini hears Jason’s voice, hears Kimberly talking to him, but all she sees is the now collapsed building of the Daily Planet, sees only Diana running into the building over and over again before the explosion-

“We have to go to Metropolis!” Trini chokes out, standing on shaking legs and turning to Jason and Kimberly, both of whom blink at her in shock.

“What?” Kimberly breathes out.

“Come on! We’ll-we’ll take your car, we’ll go-.”

“Trini, we can’t just go to Metropolis, not now after an attack like this as well-.”

“Then I’ll go by myself.” Trini growls, and she’s making her way to the front door when Jason suddenly grabs her from behind.

“Trini, stop! You’re not thinking rationally-.”

“LET ME GO!” 

“Trini, it’ll take hours to get there, and we don’t even know what’s happened-.”

Trini pushes him off her and grabs her phone, desperately calling Dinah Lance’s number, but she doesn’t answer.

Then she calls Oliver Queen. Again, no answer.

Victor Stone, no answer.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Trini throws her phone against the wall and it shatters to pieces. 

“Trini, stop!”

“IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA HELP ME THEN GO!” She roars, and then she’s moving to the front door again, but Kimberly’s blocking her, tears falling down her face.

“You can’t go, Trini! It’s not safe.” She says firmly, her voice shaking, and Trini glares at her.

“Move out of the way.” She says calmly.

“No.” Kimberly says, throwing her body over the door.

“Move.” Trini says again.

“You can’t go, Trini. Diana wouldn’t want this-.”

“GET OUT OF THE FUCKING WAY, KIMBERLY!” Trini screams until she feels her voice box tear, and Kimberly still refuses to budge, flinching when Trini yells at her, but staying in front of the door all the same.

And Trini lunges forward to grab her-

“ENOUGH!” Jason grabs Trini and holds her in a vice like grip, and despite all her powers, Jason’s strength is too great, her struggles against him fruitless, but she keeps going anyway, biting him, scratching him, poking him-

“I’m not letting you go, Trini.” He breathes every time, and Trini eventually collapses against him, her whole body aching as her bottom lip trembles.

“She’s…she’s dead.” Trini croaks out.

“Baby, you don’t know that…” Kimberly whispers, crouching down in front of her and tucking her hair behind her ear.

“She ran into that building and it ex-exploded, she’s d-dead, Kim!” Trini wails, and then she’s sobbing, beating her fists against Jason’s chest and screaming at him to let her go, but Jason holds on, and Trini wants to die, wants to curl up into a ball and die along with Diana, because there’s no point in living without Diana Prince by her side-

All this time, all this time she’s felt guilty about growing old and dying one day and not once, not once did she ever think about what would happen if Diana was the one to die-

“I can’t do this…” She whispers. Jason runs his hands through her hair.

“Trin-.”

“I can’t live without her. I can’t…” Trini whines, and then there’s a million memories racing through her mind.

Diana picking her up and swinging her around when she was five, laughing as she pressed kisses to Trini’s face with a smile.

Diana carrying her on her back and jumping across buildings with Trini giggling and holding her tightly, refusing to let her go.

Diana crying as Trini wailed, clutching her knee in pain as Diana scooped her up and ran with her to the hospital, tears falling down both their faces as Diana didn’t even stop for a second to breathe, desperate to get her daughter help- 

“MOM!” Trini screams, and Kimberly suddenly scoops her up into her arms as Trini wraps her arms around Kimberly’s neck and sobs into her chest, Kimberly carrying her bridal style to the couch and sitting on it, cradling Trini to her body as she coos softly.

“I’ve got you, I’ve got you, shh…” 

-

It’s the middle of the night, there’s an empty bottle of wine on the table and Trini still can’t sleep.

When the headline comes on the news that the Justice League is feared dead, and pictures of Batman, The Flash and Wonder Woman appear on the screen, Trini cries and doesn’t stop crying for over an hour, surprised she still has tears left as Kimberly and Jason cuddle her on the couch.

Billy and Zack arrive about an hour after the explosion that killed her mother, both of them immediately rushing to Trini’s side, and Billy holds her hand as Zack embraces her, refusing to let her go for a long time as he brushes her hair back from her face.

“I’ve got you, crazy girl.” He murmurs against her hair. 

Jason had been the first to suggest the wine. He said that alcohol helped his father sleep after the Angel Grove incident, and that it sometimes helps Jason, too, so his dad would give him a beer or two to help calm him down.

But Diana hates beer, and the thought of her mother has Trini wailing again, so Jason looks all over the kitchen and finds a bottle of wine, and he’s telling Trini to drink it and she’s drinking it straight from the bottle without hesitation, desperate to fall into an unconscious slumber, to stop feeling pain for just a few hours because her body is exhausted and her eyes hurt-

Kimberly’s rubbing gentle circles all over her body, but Trini still can’t fall asleep, because all she can think about is the fact that Diana is dead and she’s all alone now-

“Mom…” She whimpers, and Jason grips her hand and sighs, his eyes tired and drooping, and when Kimberly tells him to go to bed, he shakes his head and takes a deep breath in through his nose.

“No, I’m good. I’m good.” He says, stifling a yawn. Trini watches Billy and Zack also fight the fatigue that threatens to smother them, but she doesn’t have it in her to tell them to go home and sleep…

Kimberly doesn’t let her go the entire time.

The only thing that calms Trini down is the sound of Kimberly’s heart beat against her ear, racing slightly at all the grief and sadness that’s taken over the house, seeping into the walls as Trini clutches her and cries into her chest, and this is not how she wanted this to go, not how she pictured her first few days post-telling Kimberly Hart her feelings for her going, but Trini doesn’t have it in her to care.

Diana Prince is dead and she has no mother anymore.

Trini whimpers, and Kimberly runs her fingers through her hair.

“I’m here.” She whispers. 

And she shouldn’t be.

Kimberly Hart deserves more than this.

“You should go.” She croaks out.

“What?” Kimberly whispers.

“You deserve better.” Trini manages to get out, and Kimberly grips her chin and forces her to look up.

“I’m holding ‘better’ in my arms right now.” She whispers. And Trini’s bottom lip trembles as Kimberly leans down and kisses her lips softly, not caring that the others are watching them, not caring about anything at all as Trini rests her head back down on Kimberly’s chest.

“What am I supposed to do?” Trini whispers hoarsely. Jason grips her hand and runs a hand down her back.

“I don’t know. But whatever you do, we’re gonna be here. We’re not going anywhere, Trini. I promise.” 

“I don’t know how to leave in a world without my mother.” Trini chokes out, and then she’s crying again, and Kimberly’s running her fingers through her hair.

There’s a banging sound, and Kimberly jumps in her arms, but Trini doesn’t find it in her to care. Maybe it’s Rita, come back from space to finish the job she set out to do, and Trini doesn’t mind. 

Death would be better than this pain.

Jason stands, and then there’s the sound of footsteps, and Jason’s face goes pale.

“Oh my god…”

Trini looks at him, has a wild thought that maybe it really is Rita, then jumps up from the couch and looks to where he’s looking.

And she screams, her hands covering her mouth and her heart pounding so fast, she’s surprised it hasn’t fallen out of her chest.

Diana Prince stands in front of her, her legs shaking and her whole body trembling as she drops her shield and her sword weakly, wincing in pain and Trini’s eyes roam over the blood that drips down her legs, a small pool beginning to form at Diana’s feet, the scratches and burns on her arms and neck and chest, the armor that’s dented and frayed…

Diana reaches up and grabs her Aunt Antiope’s headband, letting her hair fall over her face as she drops it to the ground.

Trini vaults over the couch and reaches her mother just as she collapses into Trini’s arms.

“Help me pick her up!” Trini yells, and Kimberly and Jason are by her side in an instant, Billy and Zack arriving a second later as they all take a limb and lift Diana, all of them grunting loudly as they do.

“Get her to the bathroom, go!” Trini yells. They carry her to the downstairs bathroom, Diana moaning in pain as Trini and Kimberly lay her down in the bathtub.

Jason turns the water on, the showerhead spraying water over all four of them as Billy and Zack step back and Diana flinches, frowning as the water hits her face before she looks up, blinking weakly at them all.

Her eyes focus on Trini and she smiles, reaching up with a shaking hand to touch Trini’s cheek.

“I’m home?” She whispers hoarsely, and Trini grabs her hand on her cheek, choking on a sob as she nods.

“Yeah. Y-Yeah, you’re home, mom.” She whispers. Diana chuckles weakly, and Trini leans down and hugs her gently, crying with relief as Diana rubs her back.

“You smell…like wine.” Diana gasps out, and when Trini pulls back, Diana is looking at her with a weak frown.

“Are…you drunk?” She breathes out, and Trini groans.

“Can we focus on more important things here? Where are you hurt?” Trini asks, looking over her armor for wounds, but Diana swallows loudly and shakes her head.

“It’s not…that bad. Healing slowly.” She gasps out, wincing as she adjusts her position in the bathtub.

“Mom-.”

“Trini, look!” Kimberly says, and Trini looks down to see the burn marks on Diana’s thigh slowly beginning to fade, the scratches starting to slowly go too as Diana breathes deeply, her eyes closes as her head falls back against the bathtub.

“Mom?” Trini whispers, and she opens one eye and looks at Trini with a smile.

“I’m immortal, remember?” She says, her voice stronger now. 

“The others…” Jason says, and Diana’s smile fades.

“Everyone is okay. We saved as many people as we could, but…we couldn’t save everyone.” Diana says, her tears mingling with the water falling down her face.

“How did you get back here so quickly? Metropolis is at least a seven hour flight from here!” 

“I ran.” Diana says gruffly, and Kimberly makes a choking sound.

“You ran here? From Metropolis?” Zack asks incredulously, and Diana nods once.

“That’s why you haven’t healed, Mom, you were using all your energy to get back here! What the fuck, you should’ve stayed with the others and healed-.”

“You weren’t answering your phone, I got worried.” Diana breathes. Trini squirms guiltily.

“I broke it.” 

“Why?”

“I thought you were dead.” Trini breathes out shakily, and Diana grips her hand.

“It will take more than an explosion and a falling building to kill me.” She says, her jaw clenching, and Trini watches in amazement as the last of her wounds heal, and Diana lets out a deep breath and reaches up to turn the shower off.

She stands, the others backing off as Diana grabs a towel and begins drying herself off.

“You and I are going to talk about your coping mechanisms. If you think I’m dead, you call people and make sure I actually am dead, you don’t drink yourself into a hangover.” She says sternly, looking at Trini with a raised eyebrow.

And Trini simply drinks in the sight of her mother before her, alive, breathing, standing tall, completely healed, immortal, here…

She jumps into her arms, crying into her shoulder, and Diana is crying as well, burying her head into Trini’s neck and hugging her so tightly, that if Trini was thinking properly, she’d be asking her to let her go.

But she doesn’t.

“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.” Diana whispers. Trini doesn’t hear the others leave the bathroom, barely even notices when Diana lifts her into her arms and carries her up the stairs to her bedroom, collapsing into her gigantic bed and hugging Trini close to her body, and Jason knocks on the door and comes in eventually, a soft smile on his face at the sight of mother and daughter curled up against each other like puzzle pieces fitting together.

“I’m gonna take the others home. We’re so glad you’re okay, Diana.” He says, and she smiles.

“Thank you. When all of you are rested, come back here. I want to see you.” She says hoarsely, and Jason nods once with a smile.

“We will.” Trini sees Kimberly poke her head through the door, and she smiles softly at her before Jason closes the door behind him. 

Trini turns and buries her head into her mother’s chest, and when Diana’s scent hits her, she smiles tiredly, and Diana doesn’t stop running her fingers through Trini’s hair, and when she starts singing a lullaby in Spanish, Trini falls asleep almost immediately with one thought running through her mind.

_My mother is alive..._

She's okay.


	4. It won't ever get old, not in my soul, not in my spirit, keep it alive (we'll go down this road til it turns from color to black and white)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Thinking About You" by Frank Ocean.
> 
> there's sexual content ahead, it's not too crazy but it's still sexual content so, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
> 
> Also the first little part is a flashback.
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated!

_“Diana, I don’t think this is a good idea…”_

_Diana Prince barely hears the comments made by Bruce Wayne, her eyes focused only on the small bundle in her arms that coos softly, small fingers clenching and unclenching until Diana manages to wiggle her pinky finger into the baby’s small hand. Her fingers tighten around Diana’s pinky, and she makes a gurgling sound as her eyes begin to droop slowly._

_Bruce Wayne watches a smile light Diana Prince’s face, and he knows there’s no point in trying to talk her out of this._

 

_“A baby is a lot of work, Diana, and we need you.”_

 

_“I can handle it.”_

 

_“I get it, Diana. You’re Wonder Woman, but a baby-.”_

 

_“I’m not abandoning this child, Bruce. I made a promise to her mother to care for her. She died believing I would. I can’t abandon her.”_

 

_Bruce sighs, makes his way over to Diana, looks down at the child in her arms, and can’t help but smile as the baby gurgles up spit in her sleep._

 

_“She is cute.” He says, as if that somehow warrants this insane idea that Diana has of adopting this baby as her own. Diana chuckles and looks down at the baby, and Bruce watches as her expression softens, can almost feel how her heart expands and grows with affection._

 

_“She is…”_

 

_Bruce watches her, decides there really is nothing he can do or say to convince Diana not to do this, and lets out a deep sigh._

 

_“I need a drink…”_

 

_Diana pays no attention as he makes his way to the bar in his manor, simply smiles down at the baby in her arms before leaning in and pressing a kiss to her forehead._

 

_“I promise that your mother will not have died in vain, little one. I’ll protect you from anything this world throws at you. I’ll treat you as if you are my own. I will support you, care for you and love you through it all. My little Trinity…”_

-

They stay in bed for a long time.

Trini fades back into sleep as soon as she wakes up, her body acting on instinct and pushing her closer to her mother as she breathes in Diana’s smell, the floral shampoo she uses, roses and wildflowers that’s now mixed with something else…dust and fire and smoke…but there’s something else there, too…that scent of sea water that Trini associates the most with her mother. She thinks it must be from Themyscira, the smell of her mother’s island home never leaving her, even after all these years…

Diana’s the first to truly wake, groaning as she holds onto Trini tighter.

Her body is sore and throbbing with pain as she groans and winces, and she looks down her body to see she’s fallen asleep with her armor still on, soot and black ash still covering parts of her body and her armor in need of a desperate clean up.

But with her arms around her daughter, who is sleeping restlessly, frowning slightly as she stirs in her arms, Diana doesn’t move an inch, content to simply rest with her daughter in her arms. Diana eventually moves and begins stroking her index finger down Trini’s forehead and nose, a gesture that used to help her fall asleep when she was a kid, and Trini eventually stills in her arms, breathing evenly as she holds Diana closer.

After an hour of alternating between staring at Trini sleeping with a small smile on her face, still stroking down her forehead and nose, and also texting the other members of the Justice League to let them know she’s okay, Bruce Wayne calls her, her phone buzzing and she answers it as quietly as possible, one arm still wrapped protectively around her daughter.

“Bruce.”

“Diana. I’m glad you’re alright. We were worried all night about you.” He says softly, and Diana purses her lips before replying.

“I’m sorry. Trini wasn’t answering her phone and I had to know she was okay.” She whispers, and Bruce is silent for a long before he lets out a long sigh.

“We could really use your help, Diana.” His voice is firm, but Diana barely registers it as she shakes her head.

“I can’t leave her. The state she was in when she thought I was dead…I can’t leave her, Bruce.” 

“You’ll never listen to me when it comes to her, will you?” He asks with a chuckle, and Diana smiles despite herself.

“Do I ever listen to you about anything?” She teases. Bruce chuckles again.

“True.” He’s silent for a few moments before he lets out another deep sigh.

“Stay with your daughter. We should be alright here…”

“Call me if you really need me, please.” Diana says.

“We’ve got other members on the team with superpowers, Diana. We’ll be okay. Tell Trini I said hi. And…we miss her.” Diana smiles fondly.

“I will.” 

Fifteen minutes after her call with Bruce, Trini finally stirs and blinks up at her, eyes red and puffy as she groans and clutches her head.

“I feel like shit.” She croaks out, and Diana chuckles.

“So do I.”

“I’m never drinking wine again. What time is it?” 

“One in the afternoon. I feel like I should be upset that you’re missing school, but I think a near death experience warrants me wanting to have you here by my side all day.” She says with a frown. Trini shakes her head with a whimper and hugs her again.

“Don’t.” She says simply, and Diana sighs and runs her fingers through Trini’s dark brown locks.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers again, and Trini shakes her head again.

“My fault. I broke my phone like an idiot, if I didn’t do that, I would’ve known earlier that you weren’t…” Trini can’t bring it in herself to say it, so she simply shudders and holds Diana close again.

Her phone rings once more and Diana grabs it, expecting it to be Bruce again, but instead it’s a number she doesn’t know. She frowns and answers it.

“Hello?”

“Miss Prince?”

“Yes?”

“This is Principal Feige from Angel Grove High, I’m sorry to call you, your daughter has informed me that you’re on a business trip, but I thought I should let you know that Trini hasn’t shown up to school today. I’m also not sure if she’s told you this, but yesterday, we found footage of Trini destroying school property. I’ve decided her punishment will be Saturday detentions for the rest of the year, but if you’d like to come to the office to discuss appropriate punishment upon your return, I’d be more than happy to schedule a meeting.”

Diana frowns and looks down at Trini, who purses her lips and ducks her head into Diana’s collarbone. Diana sighs and clears her throat.

“Mr. Feige, Trini isn’t in school today because she’s with me. I arrived back home from my business trip last night feeling very ill, and Trini decided to stay home to care for me. I’m sorry, I forgot to call and let you know in advance.”

“Ah, well…I’m sorry to hear that, Miss Prince.” He says, and Diana looks down at Trini with a raised eyebrow.

“As for her being in trouble, well…I think Saturday detentions are appropriate. No need to schedule a meeting. She’ll be back at school tomorrow after I give her a stern talking to. Now excuse me, but I have to go…”

“Of course, I uh, well, I hope you feel better soon, Miss Prince.” Trini can hear the disappointment in his voice, and she grumbles as Diana runs her fingers through her hair.

“Thank you. Goodbye.” Diana ends the call and Trini looks up at her sheepishly.

“I may have broken Kimberly’s locker door a few weeks ago because someone wrote really mean messages all over it.” 

Diana sighs and shakes her head, resting her chin on top of Trini’s head.

“I don’t care. I do care, but…I don’t right now.” She says softly, and Trini sighs in content as Diana rubs her back slowly and gently.

“You really scared me.” Trini whispers, and Diana purses her lips, doesn’t say anything for a few moments before Trini suddenly chuckles lightly.

“I still can’t believe you ran all the way here from Metropolis.”

“I thought you were in trouble. I am partially to blame, I should have gotten Kimberly and Jason’s numbers so I could call them in case you weren’t answering your phone.”

“We both fucked up.”

“We did.” Diana sighs, and Trini looks at her sadly.

“What I felt last night? I never want to feel that again. The…the pain, it was-it was so much-.” Trini chokes on a sob and tries her best to breathe, and Diana wipes her tears away.

“Shh, I’m okay. I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere for a while, okay?” She whispers. Trini nods once, and Diana presses a kiss to her forehead before her stomach suddenly growls loudly.

“Someone’s hungry.” Trini says with a watery chuckle, and Diana finally relinquishes her hold on her daughter, sitting up in the bed with a wince.

“Okay, you make us breakfast, I need to get out of this outfit and into a shower.” 

“Not comfortable?”

“Could you imagine sleeping in your Ranger armor?” Diana says with a raised eyebrow, and Trini wrinkles her nose.

“There you go.” 

Trini heads down to the kitchen, grabs an old phone from one of the drawers in the living room, deciding it'll have to do for now until Diana can buy her a new one. She grabs her broken one off the top of the dining table and takes her sim card out and shoves it into the old phone, and it takes her at least ten minutes to update everything on it before she signs in to all her social media accounts. As soon as she's done, she sets to work cooking an omelet because truly it’s the only thing she can cook, and she sends a quick text message to the group chat while she cooks, telling the other Rangers that everything is okay.

Their responses take a while to come through.

_Go, Go Power Rangers! Group Chat:_

_JayJay: That’s great, Trini! We’re skipping training tonight and coming over as soon as school’s done. I already told Zordon what happened and he agrees that we should take a few days to recuperate._  
_ZackTaylorSwift: Thank god, because I’m exhausted! Last night was rough. :(_  
_BillyBoy: I’m happy your mom is okay, Trini. The world would suck without Wonder Woman._  
_KimbaSimba: How are you feeling?_

Trini smiles, quickly taps out a reply after she cracks six eggs into the pan.

_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Exhausted, but beyond grateful. I’m just so happy she’s okay._  
_KimbaSimba: We all are. Not gonna lie, watching you last night hurt a lot, but the thought of Diana being dead hurt as well. We’re all so happy she’s okay._  
_BillyBoy: Should’ve known she wasn’t dead, she’s immortal!_  
_Trini’Fresh’Prince: The building collapsed on her!_  
_ZackTaylorSwift: Yeah, but she’s immortal, Trini! I don’t blame you, I’d be worried, too, but she’s immortal!_  
_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Say ‘immortal’ one more time and I’ll show you how mortal you are._  
_JayJay: No violence, please, kids._  
_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Yes, Dad._  
_ZackTaylorSwift: If Jason’s dad, and Diana’s your mom, does that mean Jason and Diana are together?_  
_JayJay: …I’m so okay with that._  
_Trini’Fresh’Prince: You’re both dead when I see you._  
_BillyBoy: I think that’s illegal._  
_KimbaSimba: Oh, Billy…_  
_BillyBoy: Oh, was it a joke? Sorry._  
_JayJay: It’s okay, buddy and yes, it was a joke._  
_ZackTaylorSwift: Or was it? ;)_  
_JayJay: Shut up, Zack._  
_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Alright, I’ve got a starving mother to feed, and I’m five seconds away from marching to the school and kicking Zack’s ass. I’ll see you guys later._  
_JayJay: No problem :)_  
_ZackTaylorSwift: My ass is too good to kick and you know it. But see you later! ;)_  
_BillyBoy: Bye, Trin!_  
_KimbaSimba: School sucks without you here. Xx_

Trini smiles at the last message, doesn’t even hear Diana come up behind her until she hears a chuckle in her ear and she jumps, yelping as she clutches her heart and looks at her mother, dressed in a simple white sundress and her face and body finally clear of any marks from last night, her damp hair trailing down her back in gentle waves.

“They really care about you, don’t they?” Diana says, and Trini takes a few seconds to recover from her mini heart attack before smiling.

“Yeah…they were great last night. I can’t thank them enough for what they did.” Diana smiles and touches her cheek.

“Neither can I.” 

They eat breakfast together, sharing the omelet, Trini clutching Diana’s hand and refusing to let it go, and Diana wraps an arm around her and presses a kiss to her temple.

“Let’s talk about something else other than me almost dying yesterday…did you and Kimberly talk about what happened at the party?” Diana asks. Trini winces, but lets out a sigh and shrugs.

“Yeah, we did…”

“And?”

“We decided to take things slow.”

“Hmm…slow is good.” Diana says, nodding, and Trini looks at her.

“Mom, Kimberly’s bisexual.” Diana raises an eyebrow.

“I know. And?”

“You know?” Trini says, and Diana chuckles.

“You may be oblivious, but I’ve been alive for a long time, Trini. I can see the signs. She blushed when I asked her if she’d had a girlfriend in the past, and she avoided the question. Is there a problem with her being bisexual?” Trini shakes her head.

“Of course not. But she’s not out to her parents yet, and she’s scared of how they’ll react.”

“Ah…so she doesn’t want this relationship to be public?” Trini shakes her head.

“And you do?” Diana asks, and Trini hesitates, biting down on her lip.

“I don’t know…I definitely don’t want to pretend it doesn’t exist, but…I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, either. It’s hard being in a relationship as it is, but being in a relationship with another girl…it’s not gonna be easy. For either of us.” Diana frowns.

“All your other relationships you’ve kept secret, but this one isn’t like the others, is it? You really care for her.” Trini sighs and nods.

“Yeah…” She whispers, and then she frowns.

“Wait, all my other relationships? There was only ever Amy…” Diana gives her an obvious stare and Trini bites her lip in hesitation.

Ah, fuck it.

“And…maybe there was another…” She mutters, and Diana raises an eyebrow.

“I remember Lucinda and Rosita, too.” She says simply, and Trini makes a choking sound in the back of her throat. 

“You seriously knew about all of them?! Man, I suck at keeping secrets…” Trini grumbles, and Diana smiles and rakes her fingers through Trini’s hair.

“Yes, you do. But you also have Wonder Woman for a mother, so…” Trini rolls her eyes, and Diana chuckles, but then she’s sighing and shaking her head.

“I understand why you never told me, though. Society has taught you that being gay is something to be ashamed of…and I wish more than anything that that wasn’t so. I wish I could just take you to live on Themyscira. On that island, there’s no judgement…there’s no such thing as ‘gay marriage’ it was just marriage. Being gay wasn’t even a concept, it was just…love. If you loved someone, and you cared for them, you showed it. I hate that this world has made you feel like you have to hide yourself…that’s not what I want for you, for any of you, your friends as well.” 

“I know.” Trini sighs, and Diana grips her hand.

“I love you, Trini. No matter what. We may not be blood, but-.”

“Don’t even go there. I don’t care if we’re not blood, you’re my mother. No one can take that from you.” Trini says firmly, and Diana smiles.

“How are you feeling?” She asks softly, brushing her hair back from her face, and Trini shakes her head.

“I’m just happy you’re okay. I want to forget last night ever happened.” Diana sighs and presses a kiss to her hair.

“Me, too.”

-

The other Rangers arrive at half past three, and Diana heats up pretty much all the food in the fridge and leaves it on the table for all of them to enjoy, a smile on her face as she watches the five Rangers eat ravenously after an incredibly emotional and draining twenty-four hours.

She sits at the head of the table and eventually clears her throat, and the five teenagers look up at her in wonder.

“I know last night was…crazy. I’m sorry you all had to go through that, but I can’t begin to thank you enough for all staying by Trini’s side. Last night was hard for her, and you were all there to pick up the pieces in my absence. I’m forever grateful.” Diana says, and Jason swallows the food in his mouth with a loud gulp before smiling.

“Of course. Trini’s family to us now, we’d never leave her to grieve on her own. We’re just glad you’re okay.” Diana smiles as the others nod in agreement, and she claps her hands and looks at each of them with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, if Trini is family to you, then that means you are family to me. So from now on, I want you to consider this house your safe haven. Consider it your island of Themyscira. A place where there is no judgement, no anger, no sadness. Only love and respect and support. I know the trials and tribulations of being a superhero and having the responsibility of the Universe on your shoulders, but at the end of the day, you’re all teenagers. You have enough going on as it is without the weight of the world on your shoulders. So, if any of you need me, at any time, I will be here. Unless I’m saving the world, in which case you can still come here to get away if you need to. There’s a spare bedroom in this house that you are welcome to use at any time.”

It’s silent for a few moments, and then Jason suddenly clears his throat as he looks at the others.

“So we can talk? About any issues we have?” He asks, and Diana nods once.

“Of course.” Jason takes a deep breath and swallows his food loudly before looking up at them again.

“In that case…things at home are really shit right now.” He whispers. Trini stares at him, and so do the others, and he sniffs and shakes his head.

“Dad kind of eased up for a while after the whole Rita thing, but now he’s asking me what I’m gonna do with my life after I graduate and I…I don’t know how to tell him that I’m not planning on doing anything other than being a Ranger. I mean, I’m not gonna be a Ranger forever, none of us are, but, right now, all I see in my future is protecting the Zeo Crystal and I don’t know how to tell him that I’m not going to college straight away, or that even if I wanted to, I have no idea what I want to do. I just…being with you guys and being a Ranger is my escape, so that offer…that offer is really great for me, so thanks…” He finishes lamely, mumbling as he looks down at his food, and Billy sighs and claps his shoulder.

“We got you, man. Besides, my mom’s doing the same thing. She keeps telling me I should apply for UCLA, but being a Ranger is all I care about. But it’s not like I can tell her that, you know…but she’s patient, she tells me to take my time, but I know it’s not gonna last forever. So…I got you, man.” Jason grips Billy’s hand holding his shoulder, smiling sadly as Billy smiles at him, and then Zack is letting out a shaky breath.

“Mom’s not doing too great, guys.” They all turn to look at him, and Zack sniffs and rubs his eyes to stop himself from crying.

“She, uh…I can’t afford her medication anymore. Her family back home in China, they would send me money to buy her the medicine, but they can’t afford it anymore either, and I’ve been trying to find a job, but I…I haven’t been having a lot of luck. And I don’t know what to do anymore.” Trini watches as he swallows the lump in his throat, and Diana is the one to speak up.

“How much do you need?” She asks simply, and Zack looks up at her in shock before shaking his head.

“No, no way. I’m not gonna be a charity case, that’s not how life works-.”

“This isn’t you being a charity case, this is us helping you, Zack.” Trini says. Zack shakes his head.

“No. My mom raised me not to beg for money, and I won’t beg-.”

“Then work for me. Do you like gardening?” Diana asks, and Zack blinks before he suddenly smiles fondly.

“Yeah, actually…before my mom got sick, we used to have a plant garden outside the trailer, and I’d help her maintain it.” Diana smiles and nods her head to the backyard across from the dining table outside the sliding door.

“I have a backyard that’s empty of any flowers or plants. I’d love nothing more than to make one, but I know I’ll never be able to maintain it with how busy I am, and Trini hates gardening, so…you tend my garden and mow the lawn and I’ll pay you. Work for me.” It’s silent for a long time, the other Rangers watching Zack stare at Diana and vice versa, and it’s a long time before Zack finally speaks.

“I’ll wash your dishes and clean the house as well.” He adds, and Diana laughs.

“You want to be a maid?”

“Hell yeah I wanna be a maid! Do I get the cute outfit?” He asks, and Trini rolls her eyes and smacks him up the head. 

“We’ll talk about payment in private. I want to make sure I’m covering the cost of the medicine for your mother.” Diana says, and Zack nods once before he suddenly jumps up and runs across the table, embracing Diana tightly.

“Thank you.” He whispers, and Diana blinks in shock for a few moments before she chuckles and hugs him, rubbing his back gently. 

Trini looks over at Kimberly, who bites her lip before she looks around at the others and then back at Trini.

She shakes her head infinitesimally, and Trini sighs, but smiles supportively.

Once they finish eating, Trini watches as Kimberly helps Diana take the plates off the table, and she says something to Diana something in a low voice before Diana frowns and nods once.

“You guys go set a movie up, I’ll wash the dishes and get some popcorn ready. Trini, go help them set the TV up.” Diana says, looking at them with a smile. Trini frowns.

“But it’s already set up.” Trini says, confused, and Diana gives her a pointed stare.

“Go check and see if it is.” And Trini looks between her and Kimberly, who is refusing to look at her, before she lets out a deep breath and follows the boys into the living room.

They’re about half an hour into some zombie horror flick when Diana walks in, and when Kimberly doesn’t follow her, Trini looks at her with a frown. Diana smiles and leans in to press a kiss to her hair.

“Kimberly’s waiting for you in the backyard. She wants to talk.” She says softly into her ear, and Trini looks up at her before nodding once and standing.

The boys don’t even notice, all of them engrossed in the movie as Diana watches them fondly.

“Popcorn?”

“I got it.” Jason says, about to stand even though his eyes haven’t moved from the TV, and Diana chuckles and puts a hand on his shoulder to sit him back down.

“I’ve got it. Enjoy the movie.” 

Diana walks into kitchen, Trini trailing behind her.

“Is something wrong?” She asks Diana quietly, and Diana sighs.

“Just go talk to her. Go on.” She says, nodding toward the sliding door that leads to the backyard, and Trini tries her best not to panic as she makes her way to the door. 

Kimberly’s waiting for her on the patio chairs, her eyes downcast and shining with tears in the setting sun as Trini opens the sliding door and steps outside. Her gaze moves up at the sound of Trini’s entrance, and she smiles softly as Trini walks over on shaking legs to sit beside her.

“Everything okay?” Trini asks, her voice cracking slightly from fear, and Kimberly shakes her head before letting out a shaky breath.

“I don’t…I don’t know what I’m doing.” She whispers.

“What do you mean?” Kimberly turns to look at her and grips her hands suddenly, holding on to them tightly as she purses her lips.

“I’ve never felt this way about someone before, Trini. I’ve had boyfriends and…and girlfriends in the past, but somewhere along the line I always had a feeling that it would end. That it wasn’t going to last forever, that it was just something to have fun with, but…when we kissed the other night, I’ve never felt something that intense before. And I’m scared. I’m scared of starting something, and-and having this intense relationship that has every chance of falling apart because I feel like if I were to lose you…” Kimberly shakes her head as she trails off, sniffing as she wipes away her tears with the sleeve of her shirt.

“I don’t want to lose what we have, and I don’t want to risk our friendship. But I can’t ignore what I feel every time I’m with you, and every time I kiss you, so I just…I don’t know what to do. I’m stuck.” 

It’s silent for a while before Trini shifts in her seat and turns to face Kimberly, crossing her legs as she does so, and Kimberly hiccups as she looks up at Trini with red rimmed eyes.

_God, she’s adorable…_

“I feel the same way.” She says softly. Kimberly blinks at her rapidly.

“You do?”

“Yeah.” Trini says with a nervous chuckle, and Kimberly scoffs in disbelief and groans as she rubs her eyes with her hand.

“Why are we such a mess?”

“I don’t know.” Trini says with a sigh, and Kimberly shakes her head and looks at her through her fingers.

“Your mom told me I should push through the fear.”

“My mom is biased.”

“How so?”

“She wants me to be happy. And she knows you make me happy. But I don’t want you to push through your fear if you’re not ready to, Kim. I know how scary this is, I’m scared, too. I don’t know if it’s because we’re Power Rangers, or because we have such a strong bond already despite our friendship, but I’ve never felt this way before, either. And that scares the shit out of me.” Kimberly watches her, and Trini wrinkles her nose and covers her face, suddenly feeling incredibly exposed as Kimberly chuckles and tries to tug her hands away from her face.

“How has it only been like, five weeks and we feel like this?” Kimberly asks, laughing as she finally succeeds in pulling Trini’s hands away from her face. 

“We do spend every waking moment with each other.” Trini mumbles, and Kimberly laughs and nods.

“True. But we also spend every waking moment with the boys and I definitely don’t feel this way about them.” She says, and Trini grins widely. 

“Imagine feeling this way about Zack.” She says, wrinkling her nose, and Kimberly laughs loudly before there’s a banging sound on the sliding door and they both jump and turn to see Zack, Jason, Billy and for god’s sake, even Diana with their faces pressed against the glass, Zack looking at Trini with wide eyes filled with mock outrage.

“Rude!” He shouts through the glass. Then he seems to realize that he’s drawn attention to the fact that they’ve all been eavesdropping as Trini glares at Diana.

“Seriously?” She yells, and Diana turns bright red and looks up at the ceiling of the house from behind the sliding door.

“There’s a crack in the ceiling, I was showing the boys, do you see it?” She says, and Jason is confused for a second before she slaps his shoulder and he seems to catch on to what she’s doing.

“Oh-Oh yeah, right! Yeah, that’s-she was showing me the crack, it’s-it’s huge-.” 

“Get out of here!” Trini exclaims, waving them off.

“Right, on it-.”

“The crack really is big-.”

“She’s not falling for that, Jason-.”

Trini watches them scurry away, and Kimberly laughs and bites down on her lip as Trini shakes her head in disbelief.

“Unbelievable.”

Kimberly takes her hands, interlacing their fingers as Trini smiles at her softly.

“Where were we?”

“Talking about how scared we are.”

“Right.” Trini mumbles, her smile fading, and Kimberly reaches up and brushes Trini’s bottom lip with her thumb.

“I want this. I want the embarrassing mother who’s overprotective and the friends who tease us but love us together because they know we make each other happy. I want the cuddles on the couch as we watch movies and feed each other popcorn. I want the stolen kisses in the hallways at school and the make out sessions in your room that end when Diana comes barging in accidentally to do your laundry. I want-.”

“A relationship?” Trini says breathlessly, and Kimberly laughs and leans forward, resting her forehead against Trini’s with a soft thud.

“I can’t come out to my parents. Not yet.” She whispers.

“They don’t have to know. No one does. Just us. And the boys. And my mom.” Trini adds with a grumble, and Kimberly laughs and nods against her.

“Okay.” She whispers, her voice shaking with the unknown that lies ahead of them, and Trini smiles and interlaces their fingers, bumping her forehead against Kimberly’s again.

“Okay.” She whispers back, her voice steady enough for the both of them, and they stay like this a few minutes, just linked to each other, breathing each other in until they’re interrupted once again, by a bang on the window.

“Kiss her already!” Trini growls and looks up at her audience once again with their faces smashed against the sliding door, Zack rolling his eyes, Billy clapping his hands excitedly, Jason grinning, and Diana giving her a thumbs up with a grin on her face as well. 

“I’m gonna kill them-.”

“Shut up.” Kimberly wraps a hand around the back of her neck and kisses her, her lips soft, but the pressure she applies on Trini’s lips harsh, and Trini smiles against her before running her fingers through her hair and kissing her back, and she can hear the others cheering on the other side of the glass as she pulls away and rolls her eyes at them.

“Unbelievable.” 

-

It’s crazy just how easy it is for them to settle into a routine.

Trini’s home pretty much becomes the new Ranger base, with all four of the others taking Diana’s invitation to make their home their island of Themyscira to heart.

Zack is over the most during the week, but is mostly in the garden, tending to the roses he’s blooming with a grin on his face and pouting when Diana tells him there’s no housework to be done, but paying him the same amount she would if he were to do the full amount they agreed to.

“Come on, Miss P, I know you’re doing the housework just so I don’t have to. That’s not what we agreed to.” Zack says to her with a frown one day, and Diana shrugs and hands him the money anyway.

“I get bored around the house. So I clean.” 

Jason comes by often as well, but only if they’ve had a relatively light day of training, mumbling something about not wanting to go home yet every time he does. Trini knows he’s having trouble with his father, and it apparently comes to blows one night when Jason comes climbing through her window at two in the morning, and once she gets over the initial shock of his random appearance, he tells her he got kicked out for the night after he almost hit his dad, and Trini holds him as he cries in her arms.

The next day, when Diana wakes up and enters Trini’s room to see Jason curled up under the covers with Trini’s small frame wrapped around his body, she blinks in surprise before clearing her throat to wake them.

“Well, this is an odd sight.” She says simply, a bemused expression on her face as Trini and Jason blink away their sleep and look at her with flushed cheeks.

“Uh…”

When Jason explains what happened, Diana tells him she’s willing to give him some help on controlling his anger. They come up with a plan as Trini watches them with a smile and an encouraging nod.

“Are you sure I should be get anger advice from a Goddess?” Jason mumbles to her the day after as they’re walking down the hallways at school, and Trini turns to look at him with a sigh.

“When she first arrived in our world, she battled Ares and almost joined him in destroying humanity because the war took the love of her life from her. But she fought it and destroyed him without blinking an eye. If anyone knows how to handle anger issues, it’s her.” And she leaves a startled and shocked Jason behind as she makes her way to English with a grin. 

Billy comes over every second night and listens to Diana tell him stories about her battles with rapt attention, his mouth open in awe and his eyes unfocused as if he’s imagining the battles in his mind as Diana tells him of the time she battled Doomsday with Superman and Batman by her side. Whenever the others go to Billy’s house, his mother smiles at them and tells them she’s noticed Billy is a lot happier now because of them, and tells them she hopes they’re sticking around as Billy groans and tells her to stop embarrassing him.

“Don’t worry, Miss C. Billy’s like a brother to us. We’re not going anywhere.” Zack tells her with a grin. 

As for Kimberly, well…

She pretty much lives with Diana and Trini at this point.

Kimberly comes over every night with the other Rangers, even coming over when they decide to just head home instead, and Diana cooks the three of them dinner as if she’s adopted a new daughter into her home, barely even making a comment on the adjustment when Trini and Kimberly come home and find a third plate always waiting for Kimberly at the dining table even though Trini told Diana none of the Rangers were coming over.

Diana, surprisingly, only has one rule: that the girls never lock themselves in Trini’s room by herself, which leaves Trini mortified as Kimberly blushes and nods once.

“O-Of course.”

It’s been a week now since Diana laid the rules out about their relationship, and Trini knows she should be lucky that her mother isn’t being her usual overprotective self, and that really, the simple rule of not being alone with her girlfriend in her room is pretty good in comparison to what other parents rules would be, but she can’t help but grumble as she cuddles up with Kimberly on the couch, a sigh escaping her as Kimberly runs her fingers through her hair.

“Come on, Trini. It’s hard for her too, you know.” Kimberly whispers to her, and Trini watches her with a frown as Kimberly rolls her eyes with a chuckle.

“She’s watching her daughter grow up and get involved in a serious relationship. It’s gotta be jarring for her.” And Trini is so taken aback, that she gets up and walks into the kitchen to see Diana drinking a glass of wine on the island in the middle of the kitchen and looking at photos of Trini as a child, a small smile of fondness on her face as she strokes the photos with her fingers. 

“Ma?” Trini says softly, and Diana looks up at her with a tear falling down her face as she sniffs and wipes it away.

“Mm?” She says, looking back down at the photos, and Trini walks over to her and says nothing, simply wraps her arms around her from behind and rests her forehead against Diana’s back as she chuckles and interlaces their fingers.

“You’re growing up so fast.” She whispers. Trini sighs as Diana turns to face her, a smile on her face as she leans up and presses a kiss to Trini’s forehead.

“I don’t know how I feel about it.” She says, and Trini wraps her arms around her neck and hugs her, burying her head into her shoulder.

“I’m always gonna be your daughter.” She mumbles, and Diana rubs her back.

“I know…”

“No, seriously. You took me in, you raised me, you…you gave me the greatest life I could ever ask for. I can’t begin to thank you enough for that, mom. I don’t want you to feel like just because I’m dating Kimberly now, we’re not gonna still be close, because that’s crazy.”

“No, it’s not that…” She says with a frown, and Trini looks at her with watchful eyes as she smiles softly.

“Then what is it?” She asks, and Diana sighs and wipes away the tears that fall from her cheeks.

“It’s stupid, but…I know I’m not going to always be your first priority, I know that, but I was for a long time and now…now you’re a Power Ranger and a superhero and you have a girlfriend, and…I guess I just thought it would happen a little later rather than sooner.” Diana says with a small, sad smile, and Trini can feel her heart break at the sight.

“Being a Power Ranger, and having Kim…they’re all great things in my life. But you’re still number one, mom. You always will be. Don’t you think different, not even for a second.” She whispers, and Diana’s eyes go wide before her bottom lip trembles and she holds Trini tightly, crying into her shoulder as Trini holds on to her and doesn’t let go. 

Trini doesn’t even realize when Kimberly walks into the room and looks down at the photos on the island until she chuckles suddenly, and Diana and Trini pull apart and look at her and she stares at them with a deep blush forming on her cheeks.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, I just…this photo is cute.” She says, smiling down at the one in her hands, and Diana stands leans over, laughing as she sees what photo it is.

“Ah, yes. Trini loved soccer as a kid. Then she dislocated her knee on the playground and after that she just…stopped playing.” Diana says, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, that wasn’t the only reason.” She says, and Diana looks at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh really?”

“Do you not remember how competitive you used to get?” Trini says, and Diana suddenly turns bright red.

“I don’t recall.” She says stiffly, and Trini laughs loudly before looking at Kimberly with a smirk. 

“She used to run down the field cheering us all on, and when the other parents would stare, she’d snap at them to focus on the game. I remember once, when I scored a goal, she ran onto the field and propped me up on her shoulder and the coach had to usher her off.” Diana sighs and shakes her head.

“I was just celebrating a goal, that coach never liked me!” 

Diana ends up joining them on the couch this time, an arm curled around Trini as she snuggles into her lap, and Kimberly eventually settles for sitting on the floor in front of Trini as she runs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair, a soft hum escaping her girlfriend as she smiles at Trini’s every touch.

Diana’s phone eventually rings, and when she answers it, she ducks out of the room with a frown on her face and returns ten minutes later with a sigh.

“Trini, Bruce is in San Francisco, he needs me for something…it's not a job, I promise!" She adds hastily, as Trini looks at her with panic, and Trini lets out a sigh of relief.

"It's just an old antique that he needs to know is authentic or not. It’s only a two hour drive, I should be back before midnight. Will you girls be okay by yourselves?” 

Trini and Kimberly exchange a look.

“Yeah.” They both say at the same time, and Diana raises an eyebrow sternly.

“Kimberly, you can stay the night if you’d like, in the room downstairs. Trini-.”

“I got it.” Trini says quickly, and Diana sighs before she presses a kiss to both their heads.

“I’ll be back soon!” She calls out, and then she’s leaving, and Trini and Kimberly are sitting in awkward silence together for a while before Kimberly suddenly yawns loudly.

“Well, I’m beat.”

“What? It’s not even six-.”

“I’m so tired.” Kimberly says again, and then she’s grinning and jumping up as she turns the TV off and grabs Trini’s hand, leading her up the stairs toward Trini’s room.

Trini’s closing the door behind her and resting her back against it as Kimberly jumps onto her bed and sits on with her legs crossed, a smile on her face as she beckons Trini forward, curling her index finger with a raised eyebrow. 

Trini can feel her cheeks turn red as she makes her way toward her girlfriend numbly, and Kimberly smiles as Trini sits down beside her with a raised eyebrow.

“Do you think your mom will be mad if she finds me asleep up here?” Kimberly asks.

“Probably. Why?” Kimberly lets out a deep breath and inches forward.

“I really don’t wanna sleep downstairs.” She breathes, and Trini can feel the shudder that goes up her spine, knows it’s not a reaction from the wind that blows through her window lightly, the wind chimes hanging on her mirror to clink together gently…

Kimberly’s first kiss is gentle, a simple brush of her lips against Trini’s, and when Trini reaches out and tangles a hand into her hair, Kimberly whines softly and presses both palms against Trini’s chest before pushing her down onto the mattress and climbing on top of her, both knees on either side of Trini’s body as she straddles her hips.

“Kimberly…Trini whispers, and Kimberly ducks down and kisses her again, causing her to groan lightly as Kimberly bites down on her bottom lip.

“Shh...” She breathes against Trini’s lips, and Trini bites down on her own bottom lip to stop herself from whining as Kimberly’s nails scratch down her stomach roughly.

Kimberly’s kisses eventually grow more eager, more desperate as her tongue glides across Trini’s lower lip, and when her hips grind down against Trini’s stomach, she realizes what Kimberly’s asking for with this behavior, and she whines and pulls back, shaking her head as Kimberly rests her forehead against Trini’s breathlessly.

“Wait, wait…Kim, are you sure about this?” She whispers softly, and Kimberly is shaking above her as she interlaces her fingers with Trini’s and nods against her.

“I’m sure.” She breathes out shakily, and Trini looks up at her for any sign of hesitation, but all she sees in her eyes is pure lust, her bottom lip trembling as Trini reaches up and brushes it with her thumb.

“Absolutely sure?” Trini asks again, and Kimberly nods once, leaning back down to place a soft kiss on her lips.

“Are you?” She whispers against her skin, and Trini nods a little too quickly before clearing her throat.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m sure.” Kimberly laughs against her skin, kisses her throat as she cups Trini’s jaw.

“Please, don’t rush with an answer.” She teases, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Hard not to be sure when you’re doing this to me.” Trini whispers, and Kimberly chuckles as she presses another kiss to Trini’s throat before sucking the skin at her collarbone between her teeth, causing Trini to groan beneath her and clench the sheets between her fists.

“You’re a fuckboy, Trini Prince.” Kimberly whispers into her ear, and Trini growls under her breath.

“I am not.” 

Kimberly chuckles, pulls away and straightens up as she reaches for the bottom of her shirt and tugs it up and over her head before disposing it over the side of the bed.

And the sight of Kimberly above her, clad only in a hot pink bra, has Trini’s head spinning wildly as she breathes heavily, reaching up with shaking hands to grip Kimberly’s hips.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful.” Trini whispers, her hands roaming over the tan skin of Kimberly’s stomach, over the slight bumps of muscle beneath her skin, the freckle just below her bra…

Kimberly smiles softly as she bends down and kisses her again, gripping Trini’s wrists and leading her hands to where she wants them, first leading them to her lower back, a sharp exhale escaping her as Trini’s nails dig into her skin, then up to the middle of her back, nails dragging until she hits the lace of Kimberly’s bra.

“Kimberly…” Her voice is low, shaking slightly as Kimberly hovers over her, and then she’s kissing Trini hotly and breathing against her lips.

“Take it off.” She whispers hoarsely. Trini can feel her heart pounding wildly against her chest now, but she leans up and kisses Kimberly passionately as her fingers grapple with the bra back of the bra, finally undoing it, and Kimberly shivers against her as Trini’s lips move down to her neck and her collarbone, her fingers gliding the bra strap down her shoulder and her arm as she follows it with her lips. 

“Trini…” She pulls back, looking up at the brunette with soft eyes as Kimberly runs her fingers through her hair.

“I’ve never done this before. Well, I have, with Ty, but he was…ugh. But I’ve never done this with a girl before. My last girlfriend and I never got this far.” She whispers. Trini smiles and presses a kiss to her neck, nuzzling her as Kimberly chuckles at the action.

“It’s okay. I don’t want you to be nervous.” Trini mumbles, and Kimberly pulls away and forces Trini’s head up to look her in the eyes.

“I’m not nervous.” She whispers. Trini smiles. 

“Good.” She reaches up to pull Kimberly’s other bra strap down, and when she presses kisses against her chest, Kimberly decides she’s taking too long and takes it off herself, throwing it over Trini’s head and Trini stares.

And stares.

“Seriously?” Kimberly asks breathlessly, and Trini groans and looks up at her.

“God, you’re beautiful.” She whispers, and Kimberly chuckles.

“And you’re incredibly gay.”

“Can you blame me?” Trini says weakly, looking down at her girlfriend’s chest once more before leaning in and pressing a kiss to the skin above her right breast for emphasis, and Kimberly laughs as she runs her fingers through her hair before pulling her up for a soft kiss.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” 

“I try.” Trini says, and Kimberly chuckles as she reaches for the bottom of Trini’s shirt.

“May I?” She asks softly, and Trini sucks in a breath and nods once as Kimberly lifts her shirt up and over her head, tossing it over the side to join her own shirt on the floor.  
Kimberly pushes her down to lie flat on the bed, her hand on Trini’s chest again, and Trini bites down on her bottom lip as Kimberly’s fingers move over her stomach, her eyes observing every inch of Trini’s skin as she breathes heavily.

“You’re…” She doesn’t finish her sentence, just shakes her head and looks up at Trini as if she can’t quite believe she exists, and then she’s bending down and pressing a kiss to Trini’s stomach, lips gliding over her skin and biting down gently on her ribs as Trini squirms beneath her.

“Jesus, Kim…” She runs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair, and Kimberly looks up at her before she undoes the top button of Trini’s jeans.

“If I do something wrong, please tell me.” She whispers, and Trini chuckles as she watches Kimberly undo the zip slowly with shaking hands.

“Kim, baby…” Trini sits up and Kimberly looks at her in shock, but Trini leans in and kisses her, cupping her jaw as she shakes her head.

“Are you sure about this?” She asks again, and Kimberly nods eagerly.

“I am. I swear I’m sure, I just…I wanna make sure I’m doing this right, I wanna…god, I wanna make you happy.” 

“You do make me happy.”

“You know what I mean.” Kimberly grumbles with a roll of her eyes, and Trini bites down on her lip and nods once.

“Okay, well then…take my pants off and come here.” Trini says, and she’s surprised when a fiery hunger erupts in Kimberly’s eyes before she tugs on Trini’s jeans until they’re around her ankles, and Trini kicks them off as Kimberly’s fingers roam over her thighs, the small scars littered over her legs from the rocks they constantly land on in training…

“Here.” Trini whispers, gripping her hand, and Kimberly smiles as she straddles Trini once more. Trini frowns, but chuckles as she sits up with Kimberly still straddling her lap.

“Don’t get awkward when I ask this, but…do you touch yourself?” Trini asks, and Kimberly shrugs.

“Of course I do.” She says without hesitation, and it’s Trini instead, who turns bright red, the thought itself making her whine low, which she covers up by clearing her throat.

“Well, it’s…it’s the same thing, essentially. Just a different angle.” She manages to get out, and Kimberly is raising her eyebrow as Trini attempts to wiggle out from underneath her.

“Where you going?” She asks, and Trini looks at her in confusion.

“Uh…”

“I’ve got you where I want you.” Kimberly says, and Trini’s mouth drops open in shock when, without hesitation, Kimberly leans down and kisses her, pushing her down to lie flat on the bed again as her hand glides down Trini’s stomach, playing with the elastic of her underwear before her hand snakes down into it.

“Okay, shit…” Trini whines against her lips, and Kimberly laughs as her fingers find Trini’s center with complete ease, and her eyes grow wide as she grins.

“Oh wow, it is the same thing at a different angle.” She breathes.

“Uh huh-fuck…” Trini jumps underneath Kimberly’s body as her fingers move against her, and Kimberly keeps kissing her to silence her moans as her fingers rub against her, alternating between fast and slow, soft and hard, and Trini’s gripping onto Kimberly’s back, nails digging into her skin as Kimberly swallows each whine, each groan with a kiss.

“Jesus Christ, Kim, fuck-.” Trini buries her head into Kimberly’s shoulder, and it isn’t long before she’s squeezing her thighs together with one of Kimberly’s legs wedged between them, her teeth biting down into Kimberly’s shoulder before she can stop herself, and Kimberly hisses in pain as she slows her strokes down, and when Trini finally relaxes against her, breathing heavily against Kimberly’s skin, she moves her fingers up and out of Trini’s underwear before wiping them on the sheets.

“Eww, Kim…” Trini whines, and Kimberly laughs against her breathlessly.

“What? You’re gonna wash them tomorrow anyway.” And Trini sighs.

“True, but still.” Kimberly chuckles, and then she’s looking down at Trini softly, brushing her fingers through her hair.

“Was that good?” Kimberly asks, her voice so unsure and uncertain and Trini can’t help but smile as she brushes her lips with her thumb.

“I think the fact that my head is still spinning should tell you it was.” She says, and Kimberly brightens up with a grin.

“Really?” 

“Yeah. But I think you’re forgetting something.” Kimberly frowns.

“What-oh shit.” 

Kimberly’s wearing shorts, so it isn’t hard for Trini to sit up and position Kimberly until she’s straddling her lap, and her hand snakes down Kimberly’s shorts with ease. 

Kimberly’s eyes go wide before she rolls them slightly and closes them, a breathy sigh escaping her.

“Shh…it’s my turn.” Trini teases, and Kimberly whines and wraps her arms around Trini’s neck as her fingers begin moving against her.

Kimberly is biting down on her lip so hard, she’s drawing blood, and Trini is peppering every inch of her skin she can reach with kisses, some of the light, some of them bruising, the temptation to take Kimberly’s skin between her teeth too much as Kimberly grinds down against her hand, and Trini is fucking losing her mind at the sound of Kimberly’s moans, her soft cries of pleasure, and god, she wishes she could do this endlessly for the rest of her life-

It's a few minutes before Kimberly finally whines and buries her head into Trini’s neck as she tenses up and grips her tightly, her whole body shaking as Trini rubs her back with her free hand to bring her down, her soft cries turning into gentle moans after a few moments as her body relaxes in Trini’s arms.

“You’re beautiful, Kimberly Hart.” Trini whispers against the skin of her shoulder, pressing a kiss to it gently, and Kimberly pulls back and shivers as Trini pulls her hand out of her pants.

“You’re beautiful, Trini Prince.” She whispers back, and Trini smiles and looks down, wiping her hand on the sheets as Kimberly laughs breathlessly and kisses her gently.

“So you’ve definitely had more experience than me.” Kimberly says, and Trini chuckles.

“Not much, trust me. You weren’t so bad yourself. Especially for your first time.” Kimberly smiles.

“That felt amazing. It’s only ever happened once for me with Ty, but it was nothing…nothing compared to that.” 

“Men are useless.” Trini says, and Kimberly laughs.

“I see you get that from your mother.” 

“She grew up on an island of women, and I grew up without a father, what did you expect?” Kimberly chuckles, but Trini can still see the lust in her eyes, and it isn’t long before she’s kissing Trini again, tugging on the back of her bra and fiddling with the clasp and she whispers against her lips.

“Round two?” She asks, and Trini groans and nods once.

“Round two, Round three…whatever you want, I’m yours.”

-

Trini’s pretty sure this is the happiest moment of her life.

Kimberly’s skin is soft beneath her fingers, only the slightest bumps rising as cold air filters through her open window and hits them, the pale moonlight illuminating Kimberly’s tan skin as Trini leans down and brushes her lips across her bare back, the taste of salt and sweat tangy against her lips as she licks them before leaning down and kissing Kimberly softly. 

Kimberly smiles tiredly, her eyes drooping as Trini quickly jumps up from the bed and dresses herself back into her pajamas before crawling under the blankets beside her and Kimberly sighs before reaching down and grabbing her clothes from the floor.

“I wish this didn’t have to end.” She whispers as she slowly dresses herself, and Trini smiles.

“Diana will be home any minute.”

“I know.” Kimberly sighs before crawling back into the bed, and she chuckles as she leans in and kisses Trini tenderly.

“So much for taking things slow.” She says, and Trini laughs loudly.

“Yeah, well, it’s rare for us to be alone. We’re joined at the hip by three other boys and my mother.”

“True.” 

They curl back under the covers, Trini resting her head on Kimberly’s chest as Kimberly runs her fingers through her hair.

“I swear I’ve never been happier than right now.” Kimberly says, and Trini chuckles.

“Me, too.” She looks up at her, and Kimberly smiles and leans in, kissing her gently, and Trini can’t help herself, can’t help her hands from sneaking underneath Kimberly’s shirt and touching the soft skin there, a grin instantly appearing on her face at Kimberly’s soft whining, her nails digging into Trini’s scalp as her teeth graze Trini’s bottom lip-

She hears it before she sees the headlights, the sound of brakes squeaking and echoing in the night, and Kimberly’s eyes go wide.

“Shit.” She grins and kisses Trini deeply before jumping up and over her bed in less than three seconds as she makes a mad dash for the door.

Trini follows her, both of them jumping down the stairs toward the living room, and Trini just manages to turn the TV on when the front door opens.

And then there’s the sound of voices.

“There’s a spare bedroom…but Trini’s girlfriend might be sleeping over.” 

“Girlfriend, huh?”

Trini’s eyes snap to the front door.

No fucking way.

She jumps up from the couch and dashes to the door, and sure enough, standing there with his bags, looking morose as ever, is Bruce Wayne, a look of worry on his face that immediately disappears when he sees Trini.

“Bruce!” She jumps into his arms as he chuckles and hugs her awkwardly, simply wrapping an arm around her and squeezing tightly.

“Good to see you, kid.” 

“What are you doing here?”

“Your mother insisted I stay the night. She says I look like shit.” Bruce says with a frown, and Trini observes his face for a few moments.

“You do.” She says blankly, and Bruce sighs.

“Like mother, like daughter.” Trini grins, looks over at Diana, who is looking at Trini sternly.

“It’s almost one in the morning and you have school. Why are you still up?” She asks, and Trini tries her best to calm her racing heart as she shrugs.

“We couldn’t sleep.” Trini says, just as Kimberly makes her way over to them.

“What’s all the noise?” She asks, and then her eyes land on Bruce Wayne.

“Holy shit.” She says weakly, and Bruce gives her a lopsided smile before extending his hand.

“Bruce Wayne.”

“K-Kimberly Hart.” She says, taking his hand, and if Bruce is surprised by how firm her grip is, he doesn’t show it, only the slightest of frowns taking over his features as he looks down at their intertwined hands.

“Good grip.” He says gruffly, and Trini grins at Kimberly with a wink.

“Kimberly, you can sleep in Trini’s room tonight. Bruce kind of needs the spare bedroom.”

“Of course, no problem.” Kimberly says, grinning at Trini, and Bruce sighs and looks at Diana.

“Seriously, I could’ve just gotten a flight back to Gotham-.”

“Nonsense, Gotham is eight hours away, Angel Grove is only two from San Francisco. There was no argument to be made. Now come. I’ll take you to your room for the night.” Trini watches as Bruce grimaces before lifting his carry-on bag. 

“Goodnight, Kimberly. It was nice meeting you. Goodnight, kid!” He calls over his shoulder as Diana leads him to the spare bedroom.

“Night, Bruce.” As soon as they disappear, Kimberly lets out a scoff of disbelief.

“You know Bruce Wayne?” She says, and Trini bites down on her lip to stop herself from grinning.

“It’s a long story.” 

Diana exits the spare bedroom, closing the door behind her as she makes her way over to the girls.

“Come on, you girls have school tomorrow.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Trini says with a roll of her eyes, and Diana slaps her playfully as they follow her up the stairs.

“Goodnight, little ones.” She says, pressing a kiss to Trini’s hair before touching Kimberly’s cheek gently.

“Night, mom.”

“Night, Diana.” She leaves them with a smile, making her way to her own room as Trini closes the door shut behind her.

She turns just as Kimberly kisses her, hands resting on either side of Trini’s head against the door as Trini grips her shirt and pulls her closer, and Trini whines against her when Kimberly suddenly pulls away with a gasp.

"Wait a minute, is Bruce Wayne just a friend of your mom's, or is he like...part of her team?" She says, and Trini groans and rolls her eyes.

"I can't say." And Kimberly's eyes widen.

"No fucking way, he's totally Batman, isn't he?!"

"Kimberly, shut up and kiss me." And when Kimberly doesn't move, Trini growls and grab her shirt again, pulling her in for a searing kiss as Kimberly finally reciprocates and pushes her up against the door.

But it's the sound of water running that has Trini snapping back to reality, and she pulls away from Kimberly with a sigh.

“We can’t.”

“I know.” Kimberly says with a sigh, but then she’s smiling and taking Trini’s hand to lead her over to the bed, and as soon as they’re curled up under the blankets, Trini rests her head against Kimberly’s chest as Kimberly’s arms wrap around her tightly.

It's silent for a few moments before Kimberly shifts underneath her, and Trini looks up at her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just..." She frowns.

"What?"

"I can't believe Bruce Wayne is Batman."

"Oh for fuck's sake..." And Kimberly laughs and presses a kiss to the top of her hair. 

And Trini thinks to herself, as she finds herself falling asleep to the sound of Kimberly’s soft breathing, that yeah…

She could definitely get used to this.


	5. love can be so strange, don't it amaze you? (every time you give yourself away, it comes back to haunt you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Run Baby Run" by Garbage. 
> 
> uh...don't kill me? =D  
> comments are appreciated!  
> Warning guys: the next few chapters might contain some non consensual themes, it's not sexual assault but a lot of what happens might trigger some people so just a heads up!

“So, uh…how’s school?”

Trini blinks before she looks up from her bowl of cereal at Bruce Wayne with a raised eyebrow, and he sighs as he shrugs.

“Okay, yeah, never mind.” He mutters, taking a sip of his coffee. Trini laughs, because she's never really been close with Bruce. Out of all of her friends and fellow superheroes, Trini would say that Clark Kent, his wife Lois, Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance are the people she's closest with. But Bruce has always been withdrawn, and Trini understands. He hasn't had the easiest life, losing his parents as a child and growing up to become the vigilante that roams Gotham City. Add in the fact that a lot of the young kids he'd recruited over the years had either died, betrayed him or left him, and it's not hard to see why Bruce is the way he is.

She watches him for a few moments, and he gives her a small smile before glancing down at his watch.

“I should get going, Diana.” He stands, unbuttoning his jacket as he does, and Trini watches Kimberly looking at him in awe, her own bowl of cereal forgotten as Diana enters the dining room from the kitchen and touches his shoulder.

“I’ll walk you out.” He nods once, smiles at Trini and Kimberly with a nod.

“I’ll see you around, kid.”

“See you.” He reaches over and ruffles her hair, and Trini simply smiles and touches his hand before he winks at Kimberly and makes his way to the entrance room where his bags are waiting.

“Finish your cereal, I’ll take you girls to school.” Diana says.

“Kim’s driving, we’ve got training-.” Trini stops herself short, her heart racing and Bruce suddenly stops short and turns to look at them in confusion.

_Shit._

“Uh, netball training. After school.” Kimberly says hastily, and Trini nods furiously as Bruce looks at Diana before simply walking toward the entrance. Diana purses her lips and looks at Trini with a raised eyebrow before following him.

“Well, that was close.” Kimberly says, and Trini lets out a deep breath.

“I didn’t even think. Shit…”

“It’s not like he can put two and two together and figure out we’re Power Rangers.” Kimberly says with a roll of her eyes, and Trini looks at her expressionlessly.

“He’s Batman.” She says simply, and Kimberly blinks for a few moments before sighing.

“Shit.”

“Shit.”

Kimberly drives them to school, and the day is a complete bore, Kimberly and Trini both simply trying to stay awake during Biology and the whole day due to staying up so late last night, until Trini has to make her way to her last class, which is English while Kimberly has to make her way to Art class.

Kimberly grips her hand, giving it a small squeeze as Trini smiles and squeezes her hand back, and then Kimberly’s letting her go and taking her books out of her locker as Trini sighs.

She hates this, the constant stolen touches and glances, but she can’t bring herself to tell Kimberly anything.

Kimberly’s afraid, and Trini’s not gonna be the one to make her feel like crap for something she can’t control.

Kimberly gives her a warm smile before making her way to Art class, and Trini grabs her books and makes her way to English.

“So, getting close with Kimmy, are you, DeeDee?” 

Trini feels her heart pound against her chest wildly, and she stops short, turning slowly to see Amanda and Rebecca leaning against her locker with their arms crossed over their chests, sneers on both their faces as Amanda steps forward.

“What do you want?” Trini growls through gritted teeth, and Amanda glares at her.

“You were supposed to be expelled for that locker, freak. How the hell did you rip it off its hinges like it was nothing?” She says, and Trini shrugs before turning around and walking to class again.

“I’m little but I’m feisty!” She calls over her shoulder, but she’s stopped short again by a hand gripping her wrist and spinning her around again.

“You’re fucking insane, DeeDee. And I don’t know if you’ve got some weird lesbian crush on Kimberly, but you should know, she’s not good for you. She’s not good for anyone.” Amanda hisses, and Trini glares at her before ripping her hand out of Amanda’s grip.

“You don’t know a thing about her.” Amanda scoffs, laughing as she does.

“And you think you do?! I was her best friend for four years, how long have you known her, DeeDee? A month, maybe two?” 

“My name is Trini.” She growls, and Amanda rolls her eyes.

“Like I care. I’m trying to help you, you know. But if you don’t wanna take my advice, then you can go down with her. You better watch your back, you little lesbian freak-” 

Trini’s not sure what happens next.

One second, Amanda’s in her face, and the next, she’s pinning Amanda against the locker by her throat, her fingers wrapped around her neck and squeezing as Amanda’s eyes grow wide and she yelps out in shock, and all Trini does is lift her higher until her feet are no longer on the ground.

“Amanda!” Rebecca runs forward, and Trini pushes her back so hard, she pretty much flies across the hallway and lands on the ground harshly, crying out in pain as she grips her elbow and Trini turns her attention back to Amanda, whose face is slowly starting to turn red as she gasps for air-

“You come near Kimberly, or me, or any of my friends and I swear to god I will rip you limb from limb.” She growls quietly, and Trini can feel the anger bubbling inside her, and she can’t contain it, can’t control it, and as Amanda’s face begins to turn blue and her grip on Trini’s forearms begins to loosen as her eyes roll back into her head, Trini can’t help but smile, the thought of choking the life out of Amanda suddenly invigorating her, making her feel alive-

“TRINI!” 

She doesn’t have time to look at the source of her name being called before she’s being tackled to the ground, a shoulder smacking into her ribs as she collapses to the ground and groans in pain, gripping her side as two hands grip her forearms and pin her hands above her head.

She struggles, finally adjusts herself until she’s staring into bright blue eyes filled with concern.

Jason.

“Trini, what the fuck?” He whispers, and Trini is breathing heavily as she struggles against him, but all it does is tighten Jason’s grip as Trini watches Billy wrap an arm around Amanda behind him, comforting her as she clutches her throat and wheezes in pain.

“She’s a fucking freak!” She chokes out hysterically, and Jason frowns down at Trini before looking up at Billy.

“Get her out of here, Billy.” 

“Where do I take her, Jason?”

“Just, get her some water or something, get her out of here! Go, Billy, now!” 

Billy ushers Amanda away, and Trini can feel herself relaxing despite the fact that Jason’s body is still pinned above hers, a look of concern on his face as he breathes heavily with the exertion of holding Trini’s struggling body down.

“Trini, calm down…” 

It’s starting to hit Trini what she’s done, and her heart is pounding in her ears because she’s not quite sure she believes what just happened.

That wasn’t her.

“What the fuck…” She whispers, and Jason seems to realize she’s herself again as he slowly lets her go, loosening his grip before helping her sit up.

“What happened?” He asks softly.

“I-I don’t know-.” They’re interrupted by a groan behind them, and they both turn to see Rebecca still writhing on the ground, clutching her left arm to her chest.

“Oh god…”

“I’ve got her. Trini, you gotta get out of here. When Principal Feige finds out…” Trini nods once, jumps up and grabs her books and starts making her way to English as Jason helps Rebecca up, his eyes still on Trini, watching her with pursed lips and wide eyes and Trini feels tears well in her eyes and fall before she can stop them.

What just happened?

-

“They aren’t gonna say anything.” Jason says, and Trini is still looking down at the ground, unable to talk, or move, or speak.

“Trini, I convinced them not to say anything. I think even if I didn’t, they wouldn’t. They’re-.”

“Scared of me.” Trini says in a small voice, and Jason sighs.

“Yeah.” He says simply, and Trini blinks back tears.

They’re sitting on the roof of the school, Jason deciding to skip class as well and look for her after talking with Amanda and Rebecca. 

After they’d gotten over what had happened, Jason had told them that Trini was going through something, and both girls had threatened to go to Principal Feige until Jason had offered to do their homework for the rest of the year until graduation if they didn’t.

“I can’t believe you have to do their homework for the next four months.” Trini grumbles, and Jason chuckles.

“It’s okay. Billy loves homework, I’m sure he’ll do it happily if he knows it’s getting you off the hook from expulsion.” Trini sighs, and Jason reaches out and squeezes her shoulder.

“I’ve never seen you lose control like that before, Trini. What happened?” He asks softly, and Trini looks up at the sky before sighing, tears falling before she can stop them.

“I don’t know.” She whispers hoarsely, and Jason wraps an arm around her as she buries her head into his chest.

“Maybe I’m not the only one who needs anger management lessons.” Jason mutters, and Trini chokes on a sob as she laughs.

She has no idea how to even begin explaining what happened.

All she could think about in that moment was punishing Amanda, making her hurt…

But Trini’s never felt anything like that before. Sure, she’s had anger issues in the past, but this was something different.

Something violent.

Something Trini wants nothing to do with.

There has to be an explanation, but Trini can’t come up with one.

They head to training afterwards, Trini trying her best to forget what she did to Amanda and Rebecca as she fights her way through as many Putties as she can. 

Kimberly keeps throwing worried glances her way, and Trini does her best to smile, to put Kimberly’s mind at ease, but she knows she’s not buying it.

“What’s going on? You okay?” Kimberly asks her breathlessly once Jason calls an end to training, and Trini simply nods and grips her hand, interlacing their fingers.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She lies. Kimberly frowns, but follows her out of the ship and up the Cliff, all five of them bursting through the water and landing on their feet on top of the Cliff. Zack grins at them and shakes his head, droplets of water splashing them as he nods at Trini.

“Tell Mama Wonder I’m coming over. My roses need tending.” He says, and Trini nods once and grabs her phone out of her pocket, unwrapping it from the zip-lock bag she keeps it in to stop it from getting wet. 

“You guys coming too?” Trini asks Jason and Billy, and Billy nods once with a smile as Jason sighs.

“Yeah, I think Diana wants to start those anger management classes today.” He mutters, and Trini nods and sends Diana a quick text telling her they’re all coming over. 

By the time she gets home, Diana is sitting on the couch in the living room with a glass of wine, but the couch is pushed to the side and there’s six cushions on the ground, all placed in a circle as she stands and walks over to them with a smile.

“Are you guys hungry?” She asks before wrapping an arm around Trini and pressing a kiss to her hair. 

“Starving!” Zack says, rubbing his stomach with a grin. Diana chuckles and nods toward the kitchen.

“I ordered pizzas. Go on.” Zack cheers and runs off, Jason and Billy trailing behind him as Kimberly gives Trini a quick smile before following them as well.

“How was school?” Diana asks, and Trini winces.

“Fine.” She lies. 

She knows she should be talking to her mother about what happened, but she’s scared.

Diana would never forgive her for laying a hand on someone else, especially if they were defenseless like Amanda and Rebecca were…

Trini still can’t explain her anger and where it came from.

They both walk into the kitchen, and Trini eats her pizza in silence, flinches slightly when Kimberly reaches over and touches the small of her back, and Zack eventually dashes off to the backyard to see his garden after his seventh slice of pizza. 

“Jason, when we’re done, I’d like to see you in the living room. I think it’s time we started these relaxation classes.” Diana says, and then she’s looking at the others.

“You should join us as well. It will be good for all of you.” Trini exchanges a glance with Jason, who frowns before she jumps up.

“I’m down.” She says, and Billy shrugs as he stands. 

“It’ll be nice to figure out how to control my thoughts from racing.” He says. Diana smiles.

“This will help. Come.” They all follow her into the living room, and just as they’re all taking their shoes off at Diana’s request, Zack comes in, looking at them all in confusion.

“What are we doing?” He asks.

“Relaxation. Take your shoes off.” Trini says, and Zack frowns before shrugging and kicking his shoes off before pointing at the black cushion on the ground.

“Mine!” He says, and then he’s skipping over to it and planting himself on top of it, crossing his legs underneath his body and resting his hands on his knees with a grin.

The others follow suite, Kimberly sitting beside Trini and giving her a look of worry as Diana takes the cushion at the front of the room. She positions herself, back straight and hands resting palm up on her thighs as she looks around at the others.

“First thing’s first, I want you all to close your eyes and straighten your backs. We’ll start with a few breathing exercises.”

Trini sighs, but throws a glance at Diana, who gives her an encouraging nod before she closes her eyes and straightens up. Pain immediately flares up her back, years of bad posture despite Diana constantly telling her to sit straight causing discomfort as Diana tells them to breathe in through their nose and out of their mouth.

They continue doing this for about ten minutes, and Trini can feel her body almost entering a state of complete and total relaxation when Diana suddenly speaks up.

“I want you to think about any problems, or any issues that you feel are causing you the most pain, the most suffering. I want you to truly feel what you feel about these circumstances, and how they’re beyond your control to change.” 

Trini can only think about her fingers wrapping around Amanda’s throat, and suddenly, she feels a flare of anger rip through her body violently and she gasps, clenching her hand into a fist, and all she can think about is the terror that was in Amanda’s eyes, that feeling of Amanda choking beneath her hands suddenly intoxicating her-

“Focus, Jason!”

Trini’s eyes snap open and she sees Jason gritting his teeth, his fists clenched as he takes a deep breath in and lets it out, and Trini lets go of her emotions and watches him with a frown before looking over at Diana, who only has eyes for Jason as the cracks in his emotions start to show as he growls in frustration.

“I can’t turn my mind off!”

Diana frowns.

“You can. You’re just preventing yourself from doing so.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Jason hisses, and Trini watches the beads of sweat falling from his face as Diana sighs.

“In order to control your anger, you must learn to separate the emotions you feel when those thoughts surface. Turn off your mind, relax-.”

“And float downstream…” Zack sings under his breath, and Trini throws a glare his way. 

“You’re allowing your anger to take over, Jason.”

“I’m trying, Diana.” He says, the anger evident in his voice as Trini bites her lip and looks up at her mother.

“Can I say something?” Trini says, and Diana nods once as Trini turns to Jason.

“Jason, when you’re with us, you’re always so calm, so collected. So when you think of your dad, maybe…maybe try and think about us instead. Think about your team, and see if that helps you instead.” Diana looks at her with a raised eyebrow before moving her eyes to Jason, who looks at Trini before wincing and nodding once, and then he’s closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing again.

All of them are watching him now, not even focused on themselves even though Trini knows she needs this as well. 

All she cares about right now is Jason.

His fists are clenched and his jaw keeps tightening and releasing, and Trini tells him to focus on his team, and Jason suddenly relaxes, his shoulders no longer tense as he takes a deep breath in and opens his eyes.

“I…I feel a bit better. Like I can control it.” He whispers. Diana nods once, then looks around at all of them.

“This is something you need to practice. Being a superhero means learning to control your emotions on the field. I know you care about each other, but if anything should happen to the other on the field, you need to keep pushing forward. These are the first steps. Learning to control your emotions and separate them from what needs to be done.” 

“Right…” Jason mutters, and Diana sighs.

“I know it doesn’t make sense-.”

“It does. I just…it’s hard enough being a superhero, but-.”

“You’re all teenagers and your emotions are all over the place as it is.” Diana finishes, and Jason sighs with a nod.

“Yeah.” 

“Enough for today. These things shouldn’t be done for an extended amount of time. It takes a heavy toll on the body, trust me.” Diana stands, and the others follow suite as Billy claps his hands together.

“Quick game of Mortal Kombat to get our frustrations out?” He says, and Zack claps his shoulder.

“You read my mind, Billy boy! Jason?” He says, turning to their leader, who sighs and nods.

“Yeah, alright…” 

Diana pushes the couch back into place with a push of her leg against the back of it, and Kimberly walks over to Trini and wraps her arms around her neck, burying her head into her shoulder.

“You okay?” Trini murmurs into her hair, and Kimberly nods against her, holding her tighter. 

“Are you?”

“Mmm, just happy it’s Friday.”

“We still have to go to detention tomorrow.” Kimberly says, and Trini groans.

“Don’t remind me.” 

Jason, Zack and Billy eventually head home after a few rounds of Mortal Kombat, Diana giving Zack the rest of the Pizza to give to his mother, and Trini, Kimberly and Diana end up curled on the couch watching movies again as Diana runs her fingers through Trini’s hair.

And Trini wants to tell them, the two women she cares about more than herself, that she was scared. That she had no idea what happened today, that she hurt two people without even blinking and she has no idea why…

But she can’t bring herself to do it.

And she hates herself for it.

-

Something’s not right.

She’s gasping as she wakes with a start in her bed and looks around her room wildly, her body erupting in goosebumps as she looks beside her to see Kimberly fast asleep, breathing softly. 

Trini watches her with a frown, not sure why there’s a feeling of unease creeping inside her. She looks at the clock on her bedside table to see it’s three in the morning. She throws the covers off herself gently and stands. 

She stays there for a few moments, considering making her way to Diana’s room, but something’s stopping her. 

“Yellow…”

Trini’s heart stops.

She hears the chuckle, that all too familiar chuckle and her body freezes, not budging an inch. 

She’s here.

She’s here, Rita’s here-

It’s like a sickness that creeps inside her body and refuses to budge.

She can feel this darkness that begins deep inside her and spreads, consuming her every breath and her every move, and she doesn’t know how to stop it.

Isn’t even sure she wants to.

Because the darkness is suddenly comforting, warming her body up and keeping her from falling apart, which is the only thing she wants to do right now.

“Oh, Yellow…you know why you feel this way…you know I’m your only friend…” 

Trini doesn’t feel like herself anymore, can feel Rita’s presence in the back of her mind like an unwanted tumor, and she can’t shake her off.

_This isn’t happening, it can’t be happening…_

And despite the fact that she’s gone, despite the fact that Rita’s no longer on Earth to terrorize them, it feels like Rita is everywhere, and Trini wants to shake these feelings away, but she can’t. 

Rita is here.

Somehow, she’s here.

“You and I both know I never left, Yellow…” 

And that’s when it happens. 

Cold hands grip her arms, nails scratching down her forearms to bring her to a stop, and she shivers, closes her eyes, can feel Rita’s fingers in her hair, digging into her scalp…

“I’ve always been right here…” She whispers, tapping Trini’s temple with a finger as she whimpers at her touch.

“You and I both know I’m your only friend, DeeDee…” Rita hisses in her ear, and Trini shivers as Rita presses her body against Trini’s back.

“You and I only have each other, don’t we, Yellow? And you’re mine…all mine…” Her nails are gripping Trini’s neck now, and when her fingers reach under her shirt and scratch down her stomach, Trini whines and jumps forward and finds herself tumbling off her bed and to the ground with a thud instead.

She jumps up, looking around wildly for Rita, but she’s nowhere to be seen, and she squeezes her eyes shut to stop them from stinging with exhaustion.

“Shit…shit…” 

She slaps her face, willing herself to stay awake.

“Stay awake, stay awake-.”

“Who said you ever woke up at all?” 

Hands wrap around her throat, gripping her tightly, and Trini’s eyes snap open as she gasps for air, and all she sees is Rita’s green glowing eyes, laughter escaping her and all Trini can smell is dead fish and sea water as Rita’s grip gets tighter, her laugh even more maniacal as she throws Trini against the wall and holds her there.

“Now this feels familiar, doesn’t it, Yellow?!” She growls, and Trini gasps and claws at her forearms to get her to let go, and Rita barely flinches when Trini draws blood, her nails digging into Rita’s skin.

“You’ve heard me say it before, DeeDee, you’ve got spunk! But you and I both know this is my yard…you’re just playing in it.” Rita hisses, pushing her body closer until she’s pressed up against Trini’s chest, and she can’t breathe, can’t see anything but green-

“Please-.” She gasps out.

“Oh, Yellow, now you’re begging?! Isn’t this a sight?!” She roars, and she yanks Trini forward, her face inches away from Rita’s as she cackles and closes her eyes, sniffing in Trini’s fear and feeding off it.

“I can smell your terror…you’re so afraid, Yellow. Shh, it’s okay…we’re friends, aren’t we?” She whispers, and Trini can feel Rita’s tongue against her cheek, gliding across her skin as she tastes the salt on her skin and Trini whines, her heart racing-

“Good friends…best friends…” Rita sing songs, her nails ripping through Trini’s hair as she takes Trini’s earlobe between her teeth and tugs.

And Trini pushes against her with bared teeth, and all Rita does is laugh at her attempt.

“Why do you keep fighting, DeeDee? You know you can’t fight me. You thought you got rid of me, that you could be happy with your precious, perfect mother, and your amazing, beautiful girlfriend, you thought you could be happy, that you could forget what I did to you, but I was always here, wasn’t I? Festering in your mind like a sickness…delightful!” She cackles, gripping her throat and squeezing as Trini chokes on dead air.

“Can’t-breathe-.”

“What?” Rita whispers, leaning in to hear her.

“I-c-can’t-b-breathe-.” Trini gasps out, and Rita sniffs in once more, her nose gliding across Trini’s jaw.

“Mmm…” She finally loosens her hold, and Trini feels the air whistle down her throat as she gasps shakily, her head pounding with pain.

“Kim-.” Trini manages to get out, and Rita’s eyes suddenly burn green as she bares her teeth.

“Forget about her, DeeDee! You think she cares about you?!” She roars, and her grip on Trini’s throat tightens once more before Trini can get another gulp of air in, and her head is spinning, the lack of oxygen getting to her as Rita shakes her head.

“She doesn’t care about you, none of them do! You think they’re your team?! Do you want to know what my team did to me?!” And then her fist is striking out and punching through the recently repaired brick wall from Rita’s first attack beside Trini’s head, and she can feel the broken bits of brick hit her face, can feel the blood that drips down her cheek-

“They destroyed me, betrayed me! Left me for dead! You can’t trust them, Yellow! I’m the only one you can trust, the only one who understands, can’t you see?” Rita says, and the desperation in her voice has Trini staring at her in shock.

“W-What do you want?” She says hoarsely, and Rita blinks before she leans in…

And Trini clenches her fist and tries to move her head, but it’s no use as Rita’s teeth bite down on Trini’s lower lip, tugging on it slightly before she lets her go with a chuckle that sends fear stabbing through Trini’s body…

“I want you to join me, Yellow…” She breathes, and then she’s licking her again, tongue gliding over her trembling lips before trailing over to her cheek, gathering the blood that falls from her cheek onto her taste buds and moaning in pleasure and Trini can feel the bile rising in the back of her throat, and she can’t escape, can’t move, can’t breathe-

“TRINI!”

She’s screaming, screaming and screaming unable to stop as hands grip her shoulders tightly-

“Trini, it’s me! It’s Kimberly!” 

She wills her body to stop, to close her voice-box as she focuses her attention on what’s in front of her.

Kimberly is gripping her tightly, looking at her in shock and concern as Trini breathes heavily, her whole body trembling violently.

There’s the sound of pounding footsteps before the door bursts open, and Trini jumps and yells in shock as Diana stands there, looking between the both of them with a look of fury and determination on his face.

“What happened?” She demands.

“She had a nightmare.” Kimberly breathes, but Trini can hear how her voice shakes, can see the terror in her eyes as she looks back at Trini and runs a hand through her hair, and Trini drops her gaze down, unable to look at her-

“Look at me, little one.” Diana whispers, lifting her chin up, and Trini’s lip trembles as Diana’s eyes grow wide, her fingers touching Trini’s cheek.

“You’re bleeding.” She says softly, and Trini feels her heart drop.

She lifts a shaking hand to touch her own cheek and sure enough, there’s a cut on her cheek, blood dripping down it.

Trini jumps up out of her bed and away from her mother, throwing herself into the corner of the room and it’s like Rita is everywhere again, invading her room, invading every inch of her surroundings-

“Trini, shh, you’re okay-.”

“She’s here, she’s here-.” Trini chokes out.

“Baby, who is?” Kimberly says shakily, crawling toward her slowly, and Trini yells and holds her hand up to stop her.

“Don’t come near me!” She screams, and Kimberly stops in her tracks, looking at her in shock as Diana jumps up and walks toward her daughter slowly with her hands raised.

“Trini, we aren’t going to hurt you…” She says softly, and Trini shakes her head.

“Not you. Me.” She gasps out. Diana looks back at Kimberly, who frowns as she steps forward.

“You think you’ll hurt us?” She asks. Trini nods violently.

“Stay back.” She says hoarsely, and they both freeze in their tracks.

“Trini-.” Diana starts, but Trini whines and grips her hair in frustration as she buries her head into her raised knees.

How is this possible, how did Rita hurt her in her dreams and hurt her in real life, how did this happen, this can’t happen-

“Trini, you’re safe-.”

“I’m not! I’m not!” She sobs, and she can feel Rita’s teeth clamping down on her lower lip, on her earlobe-

She invaded her personal space so easily-

“Trini, look at me…” Trini keeps her head buried in her knees, and then she feels hands grip her wrist lightly.

“Mírame, mi pequeña…” Trini whines softly, feels her heart rate beginning to calm down as Diana strokes her arm gently, and she looks up slowly to see her mother staring at her with kind eyes, heartbreak hidden behind them as she tries to stay strong for her daughter.

“I need you to breathe, okay?” She whispers, but Trini shakes her head.

“I can’t…” She sobs, and Diana moves forward and lifts Trini into her arms, holding her in her lap as Trini struggles against her, the only thing racing through her mind is Rita taking over her body, hurting her mother-

“Please-.”

“Shh…” Diana coos, and then she’s humming a lullaby before she begins singing it in Spanish, and Trini’s can feel herself calming down as she breathes in Diana’s scent, clutching her mother tightly as Diana presses a kiss to her hair.

“I’ll go sleep on the couch downstairs-.” Kimberly starts, but Trini whines and shakes her head against Diana, her hand reaching out.

“No, Kim-.” She whimpers, and Kimberly immediately grips her hand.

“I’m here, shh…” 

None of them move, all three of them staying there the whole night, backed into the corner of Trini’s room as Diana holds her body and Kimberly holds her hand, and Trini feels horrible that she’s the cause of their sleepless night, but every time she tries to protest, Diana holds her closer and quiets her down before continuing to sing in Spanish, and Trini can feel herself starting to calm down.

She’s safe. She’s safe, she’s safe, she’s safe…

Rita’s words are still burning in her mind, and it eventually hits Trini what this all means.

_“You and I both know I never left, Yellow…I’ve always been right here…”_

Rita’s in her mind.

Rita’s in her mind and Trini can’t escape her.

-

“Trini, you have to eat something…”

Trini stares down at her bowl of cereal and doesn’t move, barely even looks up at Diana when she talks, and doesn’t touch her food.

She doesn’t want to go to detention today.

She needs to see Zordon.

She touches the cut on her cheek, shivering when her fingers make contact with the skin that’s beginning to scab over, and Kimberly grips her free hand tightly.

Trini told them she must have cut herself in her struggle to wake up.

She’s surprised they bought it, to be honest.

“Is there any way I can get her out of detention today?” Diana asks Kimberly, and Trini hears Kimberly sigh beside her.

“Probably not.” Diana sighs, and Trini stands and grabs her bag beside her.

“I can go to detention, I’ll be okay.” 

“Trini, you barely slept last night, and you haven’t eaten a thing-.”

“I’m okay, I promise. I just wanna go to detention and go to training.”

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to be training in this condition?” Diana says with a frown, and Trini shrugs.

“Doesn’t matter. Come on, Kim. Let’s go.” Diana watches her go, and it looks like she wants to say something, but Trini’s walking too fast for her to get the chance.

She can’t bear it, hurting her mother like this, but she knows it’s for the best.

Until she figures out what this all means, she needs to keep distance between herself and the people she loves.

Kimberly drives them to school in silence, her eyes moving to her girlfriend every once in a while, and Trini keeps her eyes outside the window, not able to look Kimberly in the eyes.

What if it’s Rita who stares back at her?

“Trini, please talk to me.” Kimberly whispers as soon as they pull up to the school, and Trini shakes her head.

“Nothing to talk about. I’m fine. Let’s get this over with.”

The first half of detention goes by without any problem, all the Rangers and the other misfits of Angel Grove High doing the work they’ve been assigned in silence.

And then Trini dozes off in the last half an hour of detention, her lack of sleep getting the better of her.

She doesn’t even realize she’s fallen asleep until she hears the sound of rattling breath in her ear followed by a cackle.

“Yellow…”

Trini jumps up with a scream, and Mr. Donohue looks up at her in shock.

“Miss Prince!” He exclaims, and Trini’s whole body is shaking as she gulps down air and shakes her head.

“I-I’m okay, s-sorry-.” She manages to get out. Mr. Donohue frowns, then beckons her forward with a finger.

Trini stands and grabs her book, avoiding the glances from the others as she walks up to him.

“Are you sure you’re alright? That was startling.” He says with a chuckle, and Trini nods.

“I’m good.” She says hoarsely, and Mr. Donohue stares at her for a few moments before suddenly writing something down on a piece of paper and ripping it out of his book.

“Here. Get home, get some rest. You’re excused.” He says, handing the paper to her, and Trini looks down at it in shock.

“Uh, I…thank you.”

“Go on before I change my mind.” Trini makes her way to the stairs, still not looking back at the others, and she thinks this might be a blessing.

Now she can head to the ship and see Zordon without prying eyes and ears.

She can feel her phone buzzing in her pocket like crazy the second she steps outside the school, and Trini’s hand instead enters the other pocket, fingers gripping her power coin, which seems to be buzzing with some weird energy she’s never felt before.

She bites down on her lower lip and begins making her way to the ship.

She needs to figure this out once and for all.

It doesn’t take her long to get to the ship, her feet pounding on the ground as she runs as fast as she can, and when she dives down, it hits her a second too late that she hasn’t covered her phone with a zip-lock.

It isn’t a complete loss, she’s still using the old one because she hasn’t had time to get a new one yet, but it was the only replacement she had for the one she broke when she thought Diana died-

_Don’t remember that!_

As soon as she resurfaces, she grabs her phone in her pocket and curses when it doesn’t turn on.

“Great.” She mutters, but she makes her way into the ship with a sigh despite it.

Alpha 5 makes his way toward her as soon as she appears, and he looks around for the others before looking at her.

“Where are the other Rangers?” He asks.

“I’m here on my own. I’ve gotta talk to Zordon.”

“Oh! Well, is everything okay?” He asks, walking toward her, and Trini nods.

“Yeah, I just…I gotta talk to him. Please.”

“Of course. You know the way!” Trini smiles, but follows Alpha 5 all the same into the center of the ship. 

As soon as he gets near the morphing grid, the wall lights up and Zordon’s pixelated face lights into view, his eyes moving around before landing on Trini.

“Trini…is everything alright? Where are the others?”

“Everything’s fine. I just…I need to talk to you.” 

“What is it?” Zordon watches her intently, and Trini’s pretty sure if he could show expression, he’d be looking at her with concern.

Trini takes a deep breath in.

“I had a dream last night…about Rita. She was attacking me again, and when I woke up, I was hurt. It’s like she was attacking me in real life as well. And I’ve been so angry lately, and yesterday, it spiraled out of control. I attacked someone, and I couldn’t stop myself. I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I feel like whatever it is, it isn’t good.” 

Zordon watches her for a long time, and then he’s looking down at Alpha 5.

“Alpha, begin neural and psychical scans on Trini, please.” Trini’s eyes widen as Alpha 5 walks toward her, and Trini takes a step back.

“Wait, whoa, what’s happening?”

“This won’t hurt at all, Trini. I’m just gonna scan your body for any abnormalities.”

“Abnormalities?” Trini says, blinking shock, and Alpha 5 sighs.

“You’ll be okay. I promise.” He says softly, and Trini stares at him for a long before taking a deep breath in and nodding.

“Okay.”

“Close your eyes. The lights might sting if you leave them open.” Trini bites her lip, but squeezes her eyes shut, and she flinches slightly when loud sounds begin echoing around her, the sound of Alpha 5’s footsteps echoing as he moves around her, and Trini keeps her eyes closed the entire time, too scared to look.

A whole ten minutes pass before the echoing stops and Trini opens one eye and looks down at Alpha 5.

“You can open them properly.” She blinks before looking up at Zordon as he looks at Alpha 5.

“Report?”

“Everything seems to be in order. I detect elevated heart rate levels and high levels of dopamine, her anxiety levels are through the roof. But as for any signs of Rita…nothing.”

“Wait, any signs of Rita? What does that mean?” Trini says, looking at Zordon anxiously, and his eyes move to her instead.

“I thought it might have been possible that Rita’s attack may have been more than just physical.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Trini demands, and Zordon sighs.

“Rita had a way of worming her way inside people’s minds, taking over control and rendering them incapable of fighting against her. Through scans, however, it was detectable. Rita has no left no mark on you.”

“Yeah, except for the blatant cut on my cheek that I got in the dream last night! Zordon, what if she did something to me? What if…what if she’s taking over control?” Trini’s mind is racing, the possibility of her being possessed by Rita making her clench her fists nervously as her heart pounds against her chest.

“Alpha 5 would have seen the signs, Trini. You’re safe.”

“I don’t feel safe! I can’t sleep!” She hisses, and Zordon watches her intently.

“It may be possible that you’re suffering from-.”

“Post-traumatic stress disorder!” Alpha 5 pipes up. Trini looks at them both.

“Why is it hitting me now? We defeated Rita weeks ago!”

“My study of humans show that sometimes these things occur without warning, Trini. I found no signs of Rita’s influence inside your neural signals. Whatever this is, it isn’t her.” 

Trini takes in a deep breath.

“Okay. Okay, maybe I’m just hallucinating or something.” She mutters.

“Take the day off from training, Trini. Go home and relax.”

“No. I’ve gotta be ready in case Rita returns.” Trini says defiantly. Zordon sighs.

“Very well. I’ll leave the decision with you.”

“I’m training.” Trini says, finality in her tone as she takes her seat beside the morphing grid and waits for the others.

They arrive about an hour later, all of them talking over each other as they run up to her.

“Trini, we were so worried-.”

“You weren’t answering your phone-.”

“What happened-?”

“Baby…” It’s Kimberly’s voice that she hears first, and Kimberly walks over to her slowly before crouching down in front of her.

“Are you okay?” She asks softly, and Trini smiles as Kimberly grips her knees.

“I’m okay. Let’s train.” She says, gripping Kimberly’s hands in her own. Kimberly helps her up before hugging her tightly, and the others join in after a while, all of them wrapping their arms around her.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Jason asks, and Trini nods.

“Yeah, I’m good. Let’s train. We’ve gotta be ready.” 

“For what?”

“Whatever comes our way.”

-

None of the others tell Diana what happened, and Trini’s thankful.

But she can see them watching her carefully when, after training, they head to her house for dinner at Diana’s request.

Their constant glances leave Trini sitting there awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say.

She still feels contaminated, like there’s something inside of her that shouldn’t be there.

Kimberly’s phone ringing breaks the awkward silence, and she frowns down at her phone before excusing herself and standing.

Trini watches her go, and she can feel Diana’s eyes on her as she focuses her attention back down to her food.

“Trini, is everything okay?” Diana asks her, and Trini simply nods, still not staring at her as the others glance at her awkwardly. 

“Yeah.” Trini says simply, and Diana looks up at her.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm…” 

“I’m fine, mom.” 

Before Diana can say anything, Kimberly is suddenly rushing back into the dining room, a look of shock on her face and Trini immediately jumps up from her chair.

“Kimberly-.”

“I’ve gotta go.”

“What?” Trini blinks in shock as Kimberly grabs her bag, and she looks at Diana.

“Thanks for dinner, I have to go, I’m sorry-.”

“Kimberly, slow down, what’s wrong?” Diana asks, reaching for her hand. Kimberly bites on her trembling bottom lip as tears fall down her face, and she looks up at Trini.

“My grandmother back home in India, she…she’s dead.” She whispers. Trini’s heart drops.

Shit.

“Oh god, Kimberly…I’m so sorry.” Diana whispers.

“Kim, sit down, you’re in shock.” Jason says, grabbing her, but she shrugs him off.

“No, I-I’ve gotta get home-.” 

Trini’s running around the table and grabbing Kimberly, hugging her tightly to her body as Kimberly cries into her shoulder loudly, gripping onto the back of her shirt.

“It’s okay, shh…” Trini has no idea what to do, looks up at Diana for help as Diana reaches up and rubs Kimberly’s back before hugging her as well. The boys slowly stand, all of them hugging Kimberly tightly as she cries into Trini’s shoulder.

“I-I don’t know what to do-.” She chokes out.

“Just get home, okay? Your mom is gonna need you.” Trini says softly, and Kimberly nods against her before sniffing and pulling away from her.

“Do you want me to come home with you?” Trini asks, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“No, I’m…I’m okay. I’ll call you when I get home.”

“Okay, wait shit…my phone got wet when I dove into the water, um…call my mother’s number. You’ve got it, right?” Trini asks, and Kimberly nods once before Trini leans up and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“I’ll walk you to the door.” She grips Kimberly’s hand, all her worries erased from her mind as Kimberly squeezes her hand. Diana presses a kiss to her hair, and Jason and Zack both wrap an arm around her before Billy hugs her tightly.

“Thanks guys…I’ll let you know what happens.” Kimberly tells them hoarsely, and Trini walks with her to the front door as Kimberly opens it and lets out a shaky breath.

“I wasn’t even close with her, but…”

“It still hurts. Of course, Kimberly…” Trini says gently, and she looks up at Trini with tears falling down her face as she gives her a watery smile.

“I’ll call you later.”

“Okay.” Kimberly leans in, pressing a wet kiss to her lips before she walks out of the door, and Trini watches her leave, worry pounding through her body.

Everything was falling apart and she had no idea how to stop it.

“Trini, is she okay?” Diana says suddenly, and Trini turns to see her walking up to her at the front door.

“I don’t know…she’s heading home now.” Trini says with a sigh. Diana wraps an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her gently.

“You have to be there for her in the next few days, little one.”

“I know. I will be.” 

Trini pushes all thoughts of Rita and her behavior in the last few days aside, because right now the only person who needs her is Kimberly.

“She’s gonna call your phone. Mine kinda…um…” Trini pulls it out of her pocket, a bit of water dripping off it and Diana frowns.

“Again?”

“Sorry.”

“We had to buy you a new one anyway.” Diana sighs.

The boys stay a while, waiting to hear word from Kimberly, and it isn’t until three hours after she’s left that Diana’s phone starts ringing, and she looks at the caller ID before passing it to Trini, who answers it immediately.

“Kimberly?” 

“Hey.” She sounds exhausted, her voice shaking as Trini takes a deep breath and breathes out.

“Hey. How’s your mom?”

“In shock. She hasn’t even cried yet. We’re kinda waiting for her to breakdown.” Kimberly says hoarsely. Trini sighs and runs a hand through her hair.

“And you?” She asks softly. Kimberly sniffs.

“Staying strong for my mom.” She whispers. Trini bites down on her lip, and Kimberly sighs loudly.

“Trini…I’ve gotta go to India.” She says. Trini stops short, her heart pounding against her chest.

“I…when?” Is all Trini can say, and Kimberly is silent for a few moments.

“My dad booked tickets as soon as they found out. We’re leaving tomorrow morning.” Trini almost chokes, gulping down the lump in her throat as she lets out a shaky breath.

Kimberly’s leaving…

“O-Okay…” She says softly, and Kimberly sighs.

“We’re supposed to cremate the dead as soon as possible, but my mom asked them to hold off until she got there. We have to get there as soon as we can.”

“It’s okay, Kim. I just…how long are you gonna be gone?” Trini asks.

“About two weeks. That’s the mourning period. We might stay a bit longer…” Trini’s heart sinks, and for a moment, it feels like she's been stabbed, but she pushes it down and she nods.

“Okay…”

“I’ll come and see you tonight. I can’t leave without seeing you and the others.” 

“Kimberly, you need to sleep-.”

“I can sleep on the plane, I’m not leaving without saying goodbye.” Kimberly says, her voice wavering slightly, and Trini sighs but nods.

“Okay.” 

“I’ll see you tonight.”

“Okay.” 

“Bye…”

“Bye.” Trini sighs as she ends the call and looks up at the others.

“What happened?” Diana asks. Trini bites down on her lip to stop herself from crying.

“Um, she’s gotta go to India for the burial…she said she’ll be gone for two weeks, and she’s leaving t-tomorrow morning.” Trini breathes out, and Diana jumps up and hugs Trini to her chest.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers.

“No, she’s gotta do this. I just…I don’t know what we’ll do about our Ranger duties.” Trini says, wiping her tears and looking at Jason, who purses his lips before standing.

“We’ll be okay.” He says with a sad smile, and Trini nods once.

“I hope so.”

The boys eventually leave for home, and Trini and Diana eventually head upstairs to bed before midnight, and Trini doesn’t sleep, waiting for Kimberly’s arrival, and she’s surprised when two o’clock hits and Diana comes into her room, sighing as she lays down beside Trini, who takes it as a sign and curls up against her.

“I can’t sleep without seeing her, either.” She says simply, wrapping her arms around her daughter, and Trini smiles and looks up at her.

“It’s like you’ve got four other kids now, huh?” She says, and Diana smiles tiredly.

Kimberly arrives at three, clambering through her window as Trini and Diana both jump up from her bed and rush over to her.

“Hey.” Trini says, and Kimberly doesn’t say anything, just grabs her and hugs her tightly as she buries her head in the crook of Trini’s neck.

“I wanted to see you last.” She murmurs. Trini nods against her before pulling away and touching her cheek gently.

“Are you okay?” Kimberly bites down on her bottom lip before shaking her head, and Diana sighs and pulls her in for a hug.

“I’m so sorry, Kimberly.” She says hoarsely, her voice cracking slightly as Kimberly grips the back of Diana’s shirt and cries into her chest.

“I don’t want to go, but I know I need to. I l-loved her-.”

“You have to go, Kim. You have to say goodbye.” Trini says gently, and Kimberly turns to look at her.

“I don’t wanna leave you. Or the others…Zack told me it was okay, that when his grandmother died, he and his mom couldn’t afford a plane ticket to China, so he never got to say goodbye. Billy said saying goodbye to his dad was hard, but that it helped him heal, and Jason said I shouldn’t worry about Ranger stuff, that this is more important, but…”

“They’re all right. I’m gonna be okay.” Trini says, smiling as she grips Kimberly’s hand tightly.

“I know but…you’ve been having really bad nightmares-.”

“I’ll look after her, Kimberly. I have been for the last seventeen years, long before you came along.” Diana says, tapping the tip of Kimberly’s nose, and she smiles, hiccups slightly as she chuckles and nods.

“I know. But…I’m gonna miss you.” She whispers, looking at Trini once more. Trini feels the tears form in her eyes and she tries her best to blink them away, but they fall anyway before she can stop them.

“Stay safe, Kimberly. I’ll leave you two alone to say goodbye.” Diana says, hugging Kimberly once more before pressing a kiss to her hair. Kimberly thanks her, and Diana runs a hand down Trini’s arm before she leaves the room, closing the door behind her softly.

Kimberly looks at Trini for a few seconds, and Trini gives her a sad smile.

“I-.” Trini barely gets a word out before Kimberly grabs her and kisses her fiercely, whining against her lips as Trini stumbles back from the force before gripping Kimberly’s elbows to steady the both of them, kissing her back just as fiercely.

In no time at all, Kimberly’s pushing Trini back toward her bed, both of them falling on top of it as Kimberly clambers on top of her, and when her lips move down to Trini’s neck, biting down on the skin before sucking on it, Trini whines and shakes her head before pushing Kimberly back gently.

“Kim, stop. Look at me.” Kimberly whines before pulling away, and she looks down at Trini with sad eyes as Trini reaches up and brushes her cheek with her thumb.

“Kim, it’s okay to be upset.” She whispers. Kimberly whimpers, and then she shakes her head.

“It’s not that…I just don’t want to leave without this. Without feeling you…the thought of being away from you for two weeks is killing me, Trini…please…” 

Trini pauses for a while, simply staring as Kimberly looks at her, and when tears fall down her face and splash onto Trini’s chest, she surges up and kisses her deeply before pulling away and resting her forehead against Kimberly’s.

“Okay.” She whispers.

Kimberly needs her.

And Trini’s willing to be there for her in whatever way she needs.

-

The sun breaks over the horizon, filtering Trini’s room with orange light as she strokes Kimberly’s bare back gently, pressing gentle kisses to her hair and Kimberly whines and presses herself closer to Trini, burying her head into her neck.

“I don’t wanna go.” She whispers.

“I don’t want you to go.” Trini whispers back, her voice cracking slightly. Kimberly presses a kiss to her collarbone before she sighs against her skin, and Trini runs her fingers through her hair and lifts her chin up to kiss her lips gently.

“When’s your flight?”

“Nine.” She whispers.

“You’ve gotta go pack, Kim.”

“I know.” She sighs. She kisses Trini once more before throwing the blankets off herself and dressing, and Trini stands and does the same, simply throwing on a shirt and her underwear before walking around her bed to Kimberly’s side.

“I don’t know how often I’ll be able to call you.” Kimberly says, looking at her sadly as she shoves her jeans on, and Trini shakes her head with a chuckle.

“I haven’t got a phone anyway.” She says, and Kimberly frowns.

“I’ll call Jason, then.”

“Yeah. Or my mom…I’ll be with one of them at all times anyway, so…” Kimberly nods, and Trini smiles and touches her cheek before kissing her, and Kimberly kisses her back passionately, cradling her face in her hands before she pulls away with a sigh.

“I have to go.” She whispers.

“I know.” Trini smiles, kisses her once more before leading her to the window, and Kimberly looks at her, gripping her hand in her own.

“I’ll miss you.” She whispers.

“I’ll miss you, too.” Trini whispers back before raising Kimberly’s hand to her mouth and pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. Kimberly climbs out of the window, holds herself up for a brief second and looks at Trini with a sad smile before leaning up, and Trini chuckles and leans down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

“Stay safe.”

“You, too.” Kimberly finally falls down, landing on her feet and looking up at Trini once more before blowing a kiss her way, and Trini pretends to catch it and pockets it before blowing a kiss to Kimberly, who smiles as she does the same.

As soon as she disappears around the corner, Trini chokes on a sob and collapses against the wall, sliding down it and hugging her knees as she cries, and about an hour later, Diana is knocking on her door and coming it, sighing as she sees Trini crying against the wall.

“Come here, little one.” She whispers, and she lifts Trini into her arms as she cries in Diana’s shoulder, carrying her to her bed and rocking her back and forth before lying down in it and holding her.

And Trini, after twenty four hours without sleep, cries herself into exhaustion and crashes with her mother holding her and pressing kisses to her hair.

But it isn’t peaceful.

Not for long.

Trini feels like she’s barely dozed off before the fingers combing through her hair go from gentle to harsh, from soft to sharp, and Trini’s eyes snap open before she looks up to see Rita Repulsa grinning down at her, and when Trini tries to move, her grip around Trini’s arms tightens.

“I’m starting to thrive of these little visits, Yellow.” She hisses, and Trini gasps as her nails dig into Trini’s lower back, piercing her skin-

Trini jumps up, gasping for air as Diana yelps in shock and lets her go, and Trini is gripping her blanket between her clenched fists as Diana sits beside her, running her fingers through her hair and cooing softly.

“I’ve got you, it’s okay, shh…” 

Trini reaches behind her, fingers touching the wounds on her back, and when she feels blood there, her heart sinks and she lets out a whimper, her heart pounding in her ears as Diana presses a kiss to her hair.

_This is real…_

“Trini, these nightmares are getting worse.” She says, and Trini can’t speak, can’t breathe, can only nod as Diana sighs.

“Maybe we should think about seeing a therapist, little one.” She murmurs, and once again, Trini is simply nodding.

“I’ll go make you some hot chocolate, that’s always calmed you down.” Diana says, and when Trini doesn’t say anything, she kisses her forehead and stands, making her way to the door and looking at Trini with concern before shutting the door behind her.

And Trini is still for a few moments before her body seems to act on its own, and she stands and walks over to her bedside table where her coin is resting.

And when she lifts the Power Coin up and exposes it to the sunlight filtering through her window, her heart drops even further.

Because it’s buzzing with energy like always, and shining bright yellow in the sunlight.

But Trini doesn’t miss it.

Because even though the yellow is prominent, there’s another color mixed in, clashing with the yellow in stark contrast.

And that color is green.


	6. I'm helpless, clinging to a little bit of spine (they rush me, telling me I'm running out of time)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Hold Me Down" by Halsey. 
> 
> yikes this is a doozy of a chapter, damn daniel, back at it again with the long and heartbreaking chapters  
> comments are appreciated!  
> don't hate me! again! =D

Trini doesn’t sleep at night anymore, keeps herself in the corner of her room in an uncomfortable position as she rocks back and forth and pinches her skin to keep herself awake, the constant fear of Rita’s presence burning a hole in her mind as her eyes sting with tears and exhaustion.

But she doesn’t sleep.

Because even though her mother is immortal, Trini would rather die than put her in any kind of danger. And with Rita gaining more and more control the weaker Trini gets, the thought of running away becomes more and more enticing.

But she knows she can never do that. Can never abandon Diana. Can never abandon the boys or Kimberly. Her family. She doesn’t have it in her.

She just has to tough this out, for however long it goes on for…

But Diana notices her behavior, sees the dark circles under her eyes and the way she jumps when someone touches her, or when a loud noise echoes inside the house, and when Diana suggests she talk to someone, anyone, Trini shakes her head and tells her she’s fine, she just misses Kimberly.

But this is not the behavior of someone who’s missing their partner. This is the behavior of someone in pain, someone battling something inside of them they can’t control. Diana has no idea what it could be.

And it’s tearing her apart to see her daughter like this, but every time she tries to talk to her, Trini gives her a weak smile and tells her she’s fine, she promises.

Trini never makes a promise she can’t keep, but she is now, and Diana can see right through her.

“Trini…”

“Mom, I’m okay. Can you pass me your phone? Kimberly’s gonna call soon.”

Diana gives them their space whenever Kimberly calls, but she can’t help herself from listening in from the other room, can’t help but thank the heavens that she’s not the only one who notices something is wrong with Trini when, on the fourth day of Kimberly’s absence, she facetimes Trini and immediately frowns at her girlfriend appearance.

“Babe, no offence, but…you look like shit. Is everything okay?” 

Trini assures her everything’s fine, spends a majority of the conversation asking if Kimberly’s okay, if she needs anything, how the funeral was, and when Kimberly begins crying, Trini comforts her as best she can and doesn’t complain when Kimberly abruptly tells her she has to go and ends the call.

Five days go by before Diana’s had enough.

Trini can see it in the way she looks at her the whole day, and she isn’t surprised when Diana comes barging into her room the next day at seven in the morning, and when she sees her daughter sitting in the corner of her room and rocking back and forth instead of in her bed sleeping, she simply looks at her with a pained expression before she walks over slowly, tears falling down her face.

“Trini…what is going on? Please, please talk to me…”

And Trini wants to tell her. Wants to explain that she can’t sleep because Rita will be there, ready to strike, that the bruises on her skin aren’t from training because they’re from herself, her fist striking against any part of her body she can reach to keep herself awake…wants to tell her that she’s fucking terrified, that she has no idea how to get rid of Rita’s hold on her…

But instead she begins crying, hugging her knees as Diana lifts her small body into her arms with ease and holds her, rocking her back and forth.

“Trini, you’re losing weight and you’re not eating, you…god, you can’t keep doing this to yourself. Please, tell me what’s wrong?” Diana whispers hoarsely, stroking her hair back from her face and wiping her tears from her cheeks.

When Trini doesn’t say anything, Diana’s chocolate brown eyes bore into hers, observing her, trying to drink in whatever information Trini is hiding as she leans in and presses a kiss to Trini’s forehead.

“Is it the nightmares? Are you scared to sleep because of the nightmares?” She asks. All that does is cause Trini to wail, gripping onto her mother as she cries loudly, and Diana feels like Trini is a baby again and she has no idea what she’s doing, the same hysteria gripping her as she holds her crying daughter in her arms with no idea of how to help her.

But this reaction is nothing, nothing compared to what happens later on in the day.

Trini goes to detention against Diana’s wishes, tells her she’ll be okay even though Diana begs her to stay where she can keep an eye on her, and when Trini finds the others, they all watch her with concerned eyes as Zack grips her shoulder tightly.

“Trini, you…shit, are you okay? You don’t look so hot…”

“Are you feeling sick? Maybe you should go home.” Billy says with concern, and Trini shakes her head and tries her best to smile at them, but she’s pretty sure it looks like a grimace, because Jason’s frown only grows deeper when she does.

“I’m okay, guys. Let’s just get through the school day so we can get to training.”

“Trini, seriously, if you’re not feeling okay, we can skip training-.”

“No, we’ve gotta be ready.” Trini says, her voice shaking slightly, and Jason grips her hand, squeezing it.

“Ready for what?”

But she doesn’t respond, just tightens her lips and takes her seat as Mr. Donohue calls for silence.

Trini somehow manages to keep herself awake the whole day, and she can feel Jason, Zack and Billy’s eyes on her, watching her with concern, and she’s too afraid to look back at them, scared that they might see Rita’s green glowing eyes hiding behind hers.

But it’s no use anyway. 

Because after they finish detention, after Jason finally stops asking Trini if she’s sure she wants to train and instead leads them all to the Pit, Trini is swinging her fist into the face of a Putty with so little energy that the hologram barely even flinches when she sees her.

Standing on a rock to her side, observing her with a wide grin that turns into a cackle when Trini freezes in horror and looks at her, is Rita, staff in her hand as her wicked eyes grow wide and glow green.

“You’re losing, Yellow. Just give up.” She hisses.

And then the Putty strikes her in the face and she’s falling to the ground, her mind spinning wildly as she vaguely hears Jason call out her name before his hands are gripping her shoulders and helping her up.

“Shit! Trini, hey, look at me!” Her eyes are unfocused, everything around her blurry until she sees the outline of Jason’s face, but there’s something bright green behind him, and when his face finally comes into focus, bright blue eyes watching her with concern, so does Rita Repulsa’s right beside him, a cackle escaping her as she grips Jason’s shoulder and squeezes, digging her nails into his skin.

“NO!” Trini struggles, and Jason hisses in pain before Trini feels another hand grip her shoulder.

“Trini, hey! Let him go!” Billy yells in her ear, and she turns to see him watching her with wide eyes before she looks back at Jason to see it’s her hand digging into his shoulder tightly, Jason gripping her wrist and trying to pry her hand off him.

“Trini, ow.” He says feebly, and she lets him go, her heart pounding and her whole body shaking as she looks down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them as if she’s expecting to see Rita’s hands instead of her own.

Rita’s not just invading her dreams now.

She’s taken over her reality as well.

“Trini, hey, look at me…what’s going on with you?” Jason asks softly, and Trini looks at him with tear filled eyes before she steps back, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers.

“It’s okay, just…come on, sit down.” Jason leads her over to a rock, sitting her down slowly as Billy and Zack crouch down beside her.

“Here.” Zack grips her chin, wiping the blood away from the corner of her mouth with a cloth as she lets out a deep breath.

“You’ve been distant all week. Is it Kim?” Billy asks. Trini shakes her head, bites down on her lip with hesitation.

“No, Kim’s fine, I think. I just…I’m just tired.”

“Why are you tired though? Have you been sleeping at all?” Jason asks.

“Seriously, you look like shit, what’s going on?” Zack says softly, and Trini can feel her heart pounding against her chest and the words are about to come out-

But instead of saying ‘I think Rita’s possessing me’ she makes a choking sound and shakes her head.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers, and then she’s grabbing her bag and running out of the Pit, ignoring Zack, Billy and Jason calling out her name as she runs past Alpha 5, who also calls out her name in shock before she exits the ship and dives up through the water to get to the Cliff, and even when she explodes through the water and lands on the top, she keeps running.

When she bursts through the front door of her home, she collapses onto her hands and knees, gasping for air as pain rips through her whole body, and she hears the sounds of boots hitting the floor before they stop in front of her. She looks at them, black mixed with green buckles before glancing up.

Rita laughs loudly, her whole body shaking with her glee as she looks down at Trini with a wicked grin.

“Oh, DeeDee, you really are so much fun. Now that I’ve seen the inside of that little ship of Zordon’s, I can’t wait to find it’s location and get back down to Earth so I can destroy him one last time.”

And, with whatever energy she can muster after almost a week without sleep and constant training despite it, Trini bares her teeth and jumps at her, hands gripping her throat as she throws her against the wall behind her, the plaster breaking on impact as dust and white paint fly everywhere.

Rita’s eyes widen in shock as Trini growls and grips her throat tighter, squeezing the life out of her, wanting nothing more than to destroy her as pure, unadulterated anger floods through her body, making her blood boil-

Rita laughs, gripping Trini’s wrists and pulling them away from her throat with ease, and Trini tries to fight back, but it’s no use.

Rita sweeps her leg under Trini’s knee and she collapses to the ground back first, groaning in pain as Rita bends down and wraps a hand around her throat, squeezing it tightly as she presses her body against Trini’s, pinning her to the floor.

“One of these days, Yellow, you’re gonna really hurt yourself.” She hisses, squeezing Trini’s throat, and she growls and grabs Rita by the hair, tugging her down and rolling them over until she’s on top of her, raising a fist to strike her-

“TRINI, STOP!” 

She freezes.

Her fist is shaking as it holds still in the air, halfway down toward Rita’s face to knock her lights out.

Except it isn’t Rita.

Diana is looking at her with wide eyes, her hands gripping Trini’s shoulders and pushing her back, and there’s a mixture of fear and anguish burning in her eyes as tears fall from the corners of them, and Trini can’t move, her heart sinking and her brain spinning with her thoughts, but only one ringing true and clear.

She did this to her mother.

One hand is wrapped around Diana’s throat, and she loosens it until it’s resting against her mother’s chest, her breathing heavy as she lowers her fist slowly, her eyes only on the small cut on Diana’s lip that’s bleeding, causing a small droplet to bubble on her chin. 

“M-Mom?” She croaks out shakily, and Diana’s bottom lip trembles.

“Trini…” Diana’s voice is breaking with emotion as she lowers her shaking hands to grip Trini’s elbows, and when Trini doesn’t reciprocate, she slowly sits up, moving with complete and utter focus until Trini finally snaps out of her reverie and blinks at Diana in shock.

“I-I’m…I’m s-sorry-.”

“Shh, it’s okay…I’m okay.” Diana whispers, and Trini’s bottom lip shakes before she collapses into Diana’s arms, crying loudly as she grips her mother like a lifeline, Diana rubbing her back as she tries to attempt to unscramble what just happened.

And when Trini sees the gigantic hole in the wall and realizes she was never battling Rita at all, she cries even louder, gripping her mother and whispering nonsensical apologies as Diana tries to calm her down, wiping the blood from her mouth with ease.

But Trini knows she can never apologize enough.

How could she do this? How could she hurt own mother? The woman who cared for her, nurtured her, this isn’t possible, no-

“Little one…” Diana’s voice shakes, and she can feel herself starting to break down, but she knows she has to stay strong for Trini, because she’s falling apart in her arms and Diana can do nothing but hold her and press gentle kisses to her hair.

She’s faced worse than this.

Trini needs her.

“Mom, I don’t…I can’t…”

“Shh…come on.” Diana scoops her up into her arms, tries not to cry at how much lighter Trini is (not that lifting Trini was ever an issue for her, but now she feels like a feather), as she carries her into the living room and sits her down on the couch.

“Talk to me.” She whispers softly, and Trini just shakes her head, grips her shirt between her fingers.

“I’m sorry-.”

“It’s okay. I’m not hurt, I promise.” Diana murmurs, and Trini cries even harder, tears falling down her face as Diana runs her fingers through her hair.

They stay curled up against each other for a long time before Diana’s phone begins ringing, and when she sees the caller ID, she frowns before answering it.

“Jason?”

“Diana, Trini took off during training! I don’t know why-.”

“It’s okay. She’s home with me, Jason.” Diana says softly, and Jason lets out a deep sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank god. We were freaking out…”

“I’ll tell her to message you in a second. Thank you for calling me.”

“Of course, no problem. Should we come over?” Diana hesitates, but when she looks down and sees Trini still crying silently, she sighs and shakes her head.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. She’s not…I just don’t think it’s a good idea. I’m sorry, Jason.”

“No, it’s okay, maybe…maybe you can figure out what’s going on with her.” He says gently, and Diana smiles.

“You’re a good leader, Jason Scott.” And he chuckles.

“I try to be. Let us know if you need anything.”

“Of course. Goodbye.”

“Bye.” Jason ends the call, and Diana sighs again.

“He took a while to call.” She murmurs, and Trini nods against her chest.

“Shitty reception in the ship.” She whispers, and Diana presses a kiss to her hair before reaching down the couch for the bag beside it.

“I went out and got you a new phone. Message them, let them know you’re…safe.” She says, knowing full well that her daughter is anything but okay as she pulls out the box with the phone in it and hands it to Trini, who gulps down air and looks up at her mother with red, puffy eyes.

“Thank you.” She says softly, and Diana smiles as Trini turns the phone on and immediately sets to work installing all her social media apps.

When Diana attempts to crawl out from under her to give her space, Trini whimpers and grips her shirt tightly, refusing to let her go, so Diana holds her close as she curls into her mother’s chest.

“Don’t go.” She whimpers, and Diana grits her teeth to stop her tears from falling.

“Never.” She says simply. 

When Trini tells her who’s responsible for this…

When Trini finally finishes installing everything she needs on her phone, she immediately opens the group chat with her fellow rangers, and Diana can’t help but peek at what she’s writing.

_Go, Go Power Rangers! Group Chat:_

_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Guys, I’m okay. With mom now. Sorry for running out of training._  
_JayJay: Trini, thank god…you had us worried. We were about to come over to yours to see you, but I figured I should call Diana first. Are you okay?_  
_ZackTaylorSwift: Did you get a new phone? Or are you messaging us from your mom’s?_  
_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Got a new phone. Send me your numbers so I can text you. And yeah, I’m okay, Jason. I promise._  
_BillyBoy: You’ve been distant lately, Trini. I know you miss Kimberly, but we’re worried. You don’t look so well._  
_ZackTaylorSwift: Yeah, I was willing to brush this all off as heartache over missing your boo, but you seriously look like you haven’t slept in five years. What’s going on?_

Trini hesitates, peers up at Diana, who watches her type out a reply as her heart sinks.

_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Just send me your numbers._

She closes the group chat, only reads the messages from the others that come through it through the notifications screen as they all send her their numbers before she texts them, and it isn’t long before they’re all replying to her separately in an attempt to get her to talk, but she ignores those messages and looks up at Diana tiredly.

“Why can’t you talk to us?” Diana whispers, and Trini shakes her head.

“I can’t.”

“Trini, please…I don’t know how to help you. I just…I need to know what’s going on. Please tell me.” Diana mutters, and Trini bites down on her trembling bottom lip.

“I want to…but I’m scared.” She whispers, fresh tears falling down her face.

“Of what?” Diana whispers back, and Trini shakes her head and buries her head against her chest, as if she’s hiding from something.

“Trini, why did you attack me?” Diana asks slowly, and Trini whimpers.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-.”

“I’m not upset, I’m just trying to understand, it’s like you were afraid of me…” Diana holds her tighter, hoping against hope that that’s not the reason why Trini attacked her, and when Trini shakes her head, she lets out a small sigh of relief.

“Not you.” She says hoarsely, and Diana feels her heart sink.

Not her, but someone…

“Trini?” She grips her, lifting her chin up to look her in the eyes.

“Trini, did someone threaten you?” She says firmly, and Trini hesitates before she lets out a shaky breath.

“No.” 

“Trinity, don’t lie to me-.”

“I’m not, I swear. I just…I did something bad the other week.” She whispers.

Diana waits, looking down at her as she clenches her shaking fist tightly.

“I hurt two girls. They…they were teasing me and Kim, saying that she was a bad person and I just…I attacked. I didn’t think, I just grabbed her and slammed her against the wall and her friend tried to help her and I pushed her away, and then I was choking the girl and I couldn’t stop…I couldn’t stop, mom.” Trini whispers in horror, her chest heaving with almost every word as she chokes back sobs, and Diana doesn’t know how to react.

Trini has never been a violent person.

Perhaps a little withdrawn and aggressive, but never violent.

Why would she do something like this?

Diana pushes her thoughts aside, kisses Trini’s hair and rests her chin on top of her head.

“Why didn’t I get a call from the Principal?” She asks softly, and Trini sniffs.

“Jason stopped me, he intervened, pulled me away…he spoke to the girls, told them he’d do their homework for the rest of the year until graduation if they stayed quiet. They agreed.” Trini says, and Diana sighs.

She really loves those boys sometimes.

“They’re good friends…all of them.” She says, and Trini nods against her skin.

“Yeah…”

They’re silent for a few moments, both of them simply holding each other before Diana sighs.

“I wish you had told me this earlier.” Diana murmurs, and Trini whines softly.

“I’m sorry.”

Diana’s about to say something else when Trini’s phone begins buzzing. She grabs it, a soft cry escaping her as she sees it’s Kimberly attempting to call her.

She answers the call, holding the phone up to her face, and when Kimberly’s face pops up on the screen, she smiles tiredly at her.

“Hey…” Trini says softly, and Kimberly smiles back, but Diana can see the exhaustion and the anguish in her eyes.

Something’s not right on her end, either.

“Hi.” She breathes out, her voice shaking slightly, and Trini stares at Kimberly openly with a frown.

“Are you okay?” Trini asks. Kimberly sighs.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” But she doesn’t sound fine, even Diana can hear it, and Trini looks at Diana before looking back at the screen.

“Uh…”

“I just read the messages. You ran out of training. Are you okay?” Kimberly asks. Trini nods.

“Yeah.” She lies, and Diana stares at her sternly.

“I can see you two exchanging glances, what’s going on?” Kimberly asks, and Trini shakes her head.

“Nothing. I promise.” Diana kisses her teeth, and Trini throws her a glare before smiling back at Kimberly.

“Are you sure everything’s okay?” Trini asks. Kimberly bites her lip with hesitation.

“Just want to come home.” She grumbles, and Trini frowns, about to say something before Trini hears someone that sounds like her mother yelling at Kimberly in Gujarati, and she rolls her eyes before looking at Trini.

“I have to go.” She mumbles, and Trini barely says goodbye before she ends the call. Trini looks up at Diana in shock, and Diana knows what she’s going to ask.

“Did you understand that?” Diana frowns, contemplates not telling her the truth before she nods.

“Yes.” Trini waits, and Diana sighs.

“Whoever it was, they said…they said ‘get off the phone now, I won’t have you speaking to her.’”

Trini blinks in shock, and Diana shakes her head, rubbing the middle of her daughter’s back with gentle circles.

“Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. When Kimberly comes back, you’ll talk to her about it. Right now we need to deal with what’s going on with you…”

“I can’t talk about it.” Trini whispers, and Diana sighs.

“You attacked those girls.”

“I didn’t want to.” Trini whines.

“Trini, you can’t let Jason do this, he’s got enough problems of his own-.”

“Billy loves doing homework. He clapped his hands when Jason gave him Amanda and Rebecca’s homework last week. He’s happy to do it.”

“Billy has his own problems, too.”

“Mom, please…I don’t want to cause any trouble…”

“Why did you attack them, Trini?” Trini lets out a sigh of frustration.

“I don’t know.” She lies. Diana looks down at her.

“I know you’ve had a few issues with anger in the past, but you’ve never let anyone’s words get to you. What changed?” Trini bites down on her lip, shakes her head as she looks up at Diana.

“I think that’s what it was. I was fine when they were talking shit about me, but…then they were talking about Kimberly and I couldn’t stand it.” 

“I understand you want to protect Kimberly, but she can look after herself. If I taught you anything it’s that you don’t put your hands on someone unless it’s to defend yourself.” Diana says sternly.

“I know! God, I know, I just…I’m sorry.” Trini whispers, and Diana shakes her head.

“I can understand attacking those girls for what they said…but I don’t understand why you attacked me?” Diana murmurs against her hair, and Trini hesitates.

She has to tell her.

“I…” The words get stuck in her throat, and she swallows loudly before curling up into a ball in Diana’s arms.

She can’t do it.

“I just freaked out. I didn’t mean to, I’m so sorry…” Diana sighs.

“Trini, you’re my daughter, and I love you. I’ll protect you from anything without hesitation, you know that. I don’t understand why you can’t talk to me about this-.”

But Trini doesn’t hear the rest of it. Because suddenly, she feels nails digging into the back of her neck, and she feels a shiver go up her spine as lips press against her ear.

“Isn’t she just the sweetest little thing…I’d love to get my hands around her throat, Yellow…” Rita growls into her ear. 

Trini jumps off the couch with a cry, her heart pounding and sweat immediately forming on her forehead as Diana looks at her in shock.

“Trini, what is it?” She exclaims, standing and gripping Trini’s shoulders tightly. Trini shakes her head, gripping her wrists and moving them off her body before backing away from Diana completely until she smacks into the wall behind her.

And with Diana walking toward her, Trini watches as Rita suddenly begins walking behind Diana, a grin on her face as she cackles and reaches out to Diana, and when one of her fingers curls in Diana’s hair, Trini clenches her fists and squeezes her eyes shut.

“It’s not real, it’s not real…” She whispers, still not opening her eyes.

Diana’s heart is aching, and for the first time in over a hundred years, pure unadulterated fear is coursing through her body.

“What isn’t real? Trini, please, you’re scaring me…” Diana whispers shakily. Trini opens her eyes, and before she can stop herself, the words are bursting from her chest, unfiltered and full of fear. 

“I’m…I’m seeing things.” She whispers. Diana’s eyes widen.

“Seeing things? What does that mean?”

“Rita…I’m seeing Rita.” Trini finally says, her whole body sagging in defeat as a sob escapes her, almost as if the weight of the world has just left her body and Diana grips her shoulders to hold her steady.

“Rita?”

“She’s everywhere. In my dreams, when I wake up, just…everywhere. It’s like I can’t get rid of her.” She whimpers. Diana watches her for a long time before her eyes suddenly widen.

“Trini, what other symptoms do you have?” She asks, and Trini frowns slightly.

“Symptoms?” She croaks out. Diana sighs.

“After the war, I went days without being able to sleep. The slightest noises would scare me, make me think I was back in the war. Sometimes I could see the death around me even if it wasn’t happening anymore. I would close my eyes, and suddenly I was back in the trenches, or facing Ares in the battlefield. This could be post-traumatic stress, Trini. I can’t say for certain, but the jumpiness and the fear, I’ve experienced this before. Oh, Trini…” Diana suddenly hugs her tightly, and when she lets out a sigh of relief, a sense of understanding of what her daughter’s going through coursing through her, Trini doesn’t have the heart to tell her she’s wrong.

“I…I think you’re right.”

“We need to get you a therapist, Trini. Talking with someone helps. I understand your hesitation, I hesitated, too. But it helps so much, I promise.” 

And Trini simply nods against her, the energy to argue no longer with her.

“Okay.” She whispers. Diana sighs and pulls back, looking into Trini’s eyes as she smiles.

“I’m glad you finally told me. We can fix this, Trini. I’ll do everything in my power to make this okay.” 

Trini smiles, nods simply before she clears her throat and pulls away from Diana slowly.

“I’m…I’m gonna go to bed, okay?” She whispers. 

“Trini, you just need to breathe, alright? I know nightmares are hard to shake, but just breathe through them. Find a way to relax, maybe listen to some music, or-.”

“I got it. I’ll…I’ll try.” Diana sighs.

“That’s all I can ask for. Try and get a good night’s sleep, that might help you.” 

“Yeah…” 

“And Trini, I mean really, actually, sleep. I don’t want to find you in the corner of your room again.” Diana says sternly, and Trini tries her best to smile.

“No, I’m gonna…I’m gonna actually try to go to sleep. I’m so tired…” Diana sighs, leans in and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Okay, little one. Please, if anything happens-.”

“I’ll come to you, I promise.” 

“Pinky promise?” Diana says, holding her pinky out, and Trini tries her best not to cry as she hooks her own pinky over Diana’s.

“Promise.” She whispers. Diana smiles, embraces her once more tightly before pressing a kiss to her hair.

“Goodnight.”

“Night, mom.” 

As soon as Trini gets up to her room and closes the door, she hears a familiar cackle behind her and she rests her forehead against the door, taking a deep breath in in an attempt to prepare herself before she turns to find Rita lying on her bed, looking around the room with a grin.

“You know, I miss the holes in the wall, DeeDee. They gave it flavor.” She teases, laughing as she uses her staff to push herself up and off the bed, her body contorting strangely as she stands on her feet.

“Please…leave me alone.” Trini croaks out, and Rita moves toward her, almost gliding across the room as she comes to a stop in front of Trini, watching her with a sadistic grin as she traps her against the door, resting both her hands on either side of her head. Trini can’t help the whimper that escapes her as she shrinks against the door, pressing her back against it so hard, the wood is creaking beneath the pressure.

“Did you like my little trick earlier today, DeeDee? You almost tore your mother apart, it was…magical.” Rita says breathlessly as she leans in, and as soon as her nose makes contact with her skin, she shivers, goosebumps erupting on her skin as Rita glides her nose along Trini’s jawline, sniffing in Trini’s fear and feeding off it as she does. Trini bares her teeth and tries to push her off feebly.

“Stop.” Is all she can say, the word escaping her in a weak whimper that leaves her cheeks burning with anger at herself for being so weak and pathetic-

Rita’s hands slowly glide down the door, and then she moves them over Trini’s stomach, nails digging into her shirt and piercing through the fabric. Trini can feel the sharp points of her nails piercing her skin as she groans, and when Rita’s hand stops above her jeans, she inhales a sharp breath and doesn’t let it go.

“I wonder…” She whispers, and Trini is on the verge of hysteria, because no, she can’t possibly do this to her, no-

Rita chuckles, reaches into the pocket of Trini’s jeans to pull out Trini’s power coin before holding it up to her face.

“Mmm…now that doesn’t look yellow to me…does it, DeeDee?” She says in sarcastic shock, looking at the new green tinged yellow coin with a wicked grin. Trini stares at it, desperate for the yellow to shine through and erase the green, but it doesn’t. When Trini doesn’t reply, Rita’s smile falters and her hand suddenly snakes around Trini’s throat and squeezes, her eyes still on the coin. 

“I said, it doesn’t look Yellow, does it DeeDee?” She hisses, and Trini gasps for air as she shakes her head furiously.

“N-No!” She chokes out. 

“Looking a little green, right, DeeDee?” She says fondly, looking at the coin happily as Trini nods.

“Y-Yes.” She whispers. 

“Good girl…” Rita purrs, and Trini whines as her nails scratch over the scars on her neck left from her last attack as she lets her throat go.

“What are you doing to me?” Trini croaks out, and Rita chuckles as she leans in and slips the power coin back into the pocket of Trini’s jeans before twisting her fingers in Trini’s hair.

“I’m finding myself an anchor, Yellow.” She breathes, and Trini can smell her putrid breath, almost gagging as she chokes on the smell. 

“What does that mean?” Trini whispers, her body shaking as Rita’s hands begin exploring her body, moving over her arms, her shoulders…

“Mmm…you’ll find out soon enough.” She says, and Trini squirms as her hands fiddle with the bottom of Trini’s shirt, her heart racing wildly.

“You don’t like people touching you, do you DeeDee?” Rita chuckles, and Trini grits her teeth and glares at Rita in anger.

“I don’t like people I don’t like touching me.” She hisses, and Rita cackles loudly as her hands move under Trini’s shirt, cold fingers touching the warm skin of her stomach and causing her to shudder involuntarily. 

“That’s the thing, Yellow. I’m not really touching you, am I? My body’s floating up amongst the stars thanks to you.” Her nails dig into the skin of Trini’s ribs and she bites down on her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain. 

“Then why does it f-feel real every time you hurt me?” Trini croaks out, the last word escaping her in a whimper as Rita’s nails dig into her ribs once more, and Rita chuckles.

“You’ll find out in due time, Yellow…” She whispers, and she leans in slowly, a slow purr escaping her lips, and Trini lets out a harsh cry when Rita’s teeth suddenly bite down on the skin of her neck harshly.

“Don’t-.” She tries to push against Rita, and Rita growls and pulls her forward before slamming her against the door again.

“Oh, I forgot, you’d rather have the Pink Ranger doing this to you, wouldn’t you?” She hisses in her ear, and Trini groans as her spine makes contact with the doorknob harshly.  
“Please, stop-.”

“But I’m lonely, Yellow…I’m so lonely up on the moon all on my own…no one to hold…no one to touch…” She pouts, and Trini can feel bile rising in the back of her throat when Rita’s tongue glides along her jawline-

“Trini?” Trini’s thrown forward when the door opens, and she collapses to the ground, landing on her hands and knees as she feels strong arms grip her shoulders.

“Trini, look at me!” She looks around wildly for any sign of Rita, but all she sees is her mother’s dark eyes, her brows furrowed as she looks at Trini with heartbreak written all over her face.

“Mom-.” Trini grips her mother, gasping for air as she tries her best not to vomit and her vision finally focuses in on Diana, who is watching her with concern.

“Okay, it’s okay, I understand now, shh…just breathe, okay?” She grips Trini’s face, forcing her to look up at her as she gulps down air.

“Breathe, shh…in, and out, in and out, watch me…” Trini can barely see Diana through her tears, but she does as she says, focusing on her breathing as Diana rubs her shoulders gently.

“Good…good job, little one.”

“Yes, good girl, DeeDee…” Her voice in Trini’s ear causes her to collapse into her mother’s arms, exhaustion and fatigue finally draining her as she sobs without restraint, and Diana holds her, trying to wrap her mind around everything as she cries with her daughter, her heart breaking at the sight before her, but Trini can feel the resolve in the way she grips her.

Because she thinks she understands what’s wrong now.

And Trini doesn’t have the heart to tell her she’s dead wrong.

-

It’s torture.

Trini’s not really sure how much longer she can keep doing this.

An idea begins to form in her mind that maybe ignoring Rita is a good idea, that simply forgetting she’s there might help Rita decide Trini isn’t worth her time.

But in Rita’s eyes, she is. 

She is, and no matter how hard Trini tries, she can’t ignore her. She’s like a tumor latched to her frontal lobe, refusing to budge, making her sick like a cancer…

But she tries. Oh god, does she try.

And it backfires horribly.

It’s day three now of Trini attempting to ignore Rita, her mind focused only on staying sane as Diana tells her there’s a therapist a few towns over who is brilliant that she thinks Trini should see, and she smiles and nods and plays the perfect part of supportive.

But when she goes to bed that night and continues ignoring Rita’s chants of her name, a mixture of the many different pet names she’s thought up for Trini, Rita finally decides that three days of being ignored is enough.

She grabs Trini by the throat before she even makes it to her bed and throws her against her dresser, fingers squeezing as she presses her body against Trini’s to pin her to the dresser. Trini barely has time to cry out in pain before Rita’s clapping a hand over her mouth to silence her.

“You want to play the ignoring game, DeeDee? Fine! How about I show you just how much control you’ve really lost? How about I show you just how far gone you are, just how useless all your determination and effort has been?”

And Trini whines against her hand as Rita’s nails dig into her chest, and then it feels like her heart is being squeezed and all she can feel is pain before everything goes black.

She can’t see.

Can’t think.

Can’t hear.

Can’t breathe.

It’s like she’s no longer human, floating through time and space for what feels like an eternity before she hears the sound of Rita’s voice.

“Time to come back, Yellow. Time to show you just what will happen if you screw around with me again.”

Everything’s blurry at first, a mixture of colors, red and blue and beige and orange and she blinks, surprised that she has eyes to blink at all before the feeling slowly starts to come back all over her body.

First her toes, then her feet, then her legs, then her fingers, then her arms, her shoulders, her chest-

She gasps for air, stumbles back as her body shakes uncontrollably, and when her vision finally focuses, she sees she’s in Diana’s room.

And Diana is fast asleep in her bed, her face peaceful as she curls up under her blankets and wrinkles her nose, shifting slightly in her sleep.

And when Trini realizes her fingers are clutched around something, she looks down.

A silent scream bubbles in her throat, but it doesn’t escape.

There’s a knife in her hand, shining in the pale moonlight that filters through Diana’s window, and Trini looks up at Diana in horror.

She’s okay, but the mere thought…the mere fucking thought-

“No…no…” She steps back, her grip on the knife tightening before she’s running out of the room and crashing into her own, and when she sees Rita lying on her bed, a grin on her face, Trini runs toward her with a cry and raises the knife, ready to strike it into her heart over and over and over as she jumps on top of her-

Rita grips her wrists and stops the blade just as it’s about to strike her heart, and she smirks at Trini effortlessly.

“Now this is a feisty side to you I didn’t know existed, DeeDee! Kimberly must love your skills in bed!” She howls, laughing as Trini growls wildly and pushes the knife down until it pierces her chest, and Rita’s grin fades, turns into a smirk when Trini feels her own chest suddenly spark with pain.

“Uh, uh, uh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Yellow. We’re linked, remember? You stab me…you stab yourself.” 

And Trini cries out in frustration, because no, she doesn’t know what it means, doesn’t understand, can’t fathom the idea that she’s linked to this evil creature of a woman-

She throws the knife to the wall, watches it embed into the plaster as Rita laughs.

“If you already have control, why don’t you just get it over with?” Trini whispers, not looking down at Rita beneath her and Rita hums as she reaches up and caresses Trini’s cheek.

“Because I’m having too much fun with this, DeeDee.” She says softly, and then she’s baring her teeth before grabbing Trini by the hair and pulling her down until their faces are inches apart.

“You keep ignoring me, however, Yellow, and I will use your body to hurt everyone you’ve ever loved, starting with Mommy Dearest. I don’t care if she’s immortal, I’ll find a way to bring her down. Even if it means just watching her daughter attempt to kill her. And then I’ll move to darling Kimmy, and the boys…they’ll be so much easier to dispose of, not an immortal bone in their bodies…”

Trini whimpers, shaking her head as the thoughts flood her mind and Rita laughs harshly, digging her nails into her scalp.

“That’s what I thought. Now say you’re sorry.” Trini’s bottom lip trembles.

“I-I’m sorry-.” She’s cut off, crying in pain as Rita tugs on her hair.

“Mean it!” She hisses, and Trini nods again.

“I’m sorry!” She whines.

“Say you won’t do it again.”

“I won’t, I won’t, I swear!” She gasps out, and Rita seems to think she means it, because she relinquishes her hold on the young brunette before sitting up and gripping her chin with her fingers, forcing her head to the side as she hisses in her ear.

“Mmm, good girl…” And the words make Trini feel contaminated, diseased, disgusting…

“My good girl…” She purrs again, and Trini shudders as Rita lets her go.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Trini croaks out, her whole body sagging with exhaustion, and Rita smiles sadistically.

“Because you’re the prettiest, Yellow…and the weakest.”

And the words make Trini collapse against Rita, gasping for air as Rita curls a fist through her hair, soft coos escaping her.

And Trini knows she’s right.

She is the weakest.

But she knows someone stronger.

It takes Trini a while to move, a plan formulating in her mind despite the terror pounding through her veins, but when she does finally move, she pushes Rita down onto the bed and jumps off it, exiting the room and entering her mother’s room, shaking her to consciousness cautiously and watching as Diana frowns in her sleep before blinking slowly and looking up at her.

“Trini? What is it?” She asks, her voice thick with sleep.

“I need you to do me a favor.” Trini whispers. Diana sits up slowly, and Trini ignores Rita’s eyes on her, watching her intently as Trini crawls into Diana’s bed and curls up against Diana.

“This is going to sound strange, but I need you to do this, mom.” Trini says hoarsely, and Diana wraps her arms around her gently.

“What is it?” She asks, and Trini looks up at Rita and stares her right in the eyes as she says it.

“I need you to hold me tightly. You and I both know that even in your sleep, you have the ability to hold me against your chest to the point where I can’t move, Ranger powers and all. I need you to do it so I don’t hurt anyone.” 

Rita glowers, but she scoffs and rolls her eyes.

“Oh come on, Yellow. I told you, I’m having way too much fun with this to end it all with premature possession. Besides, taking over your body while you’re sleeping? While your defenses are down? That’s low, even for me. No, I want you to be fully conscious when I take complete control. What I did earlier, that was just a taste, DeeDee…when I take over, I want you to feel it.” 

Trini can feel the fear pounding through her as Rita sits down on the chair in the corner of Diana’s room, her glowing green eyes glinting with passion over her speech and she feels Diana press a kiss to her hair as she nods.

“Of course. I understand. Let me know if I hurt you.” She whispers, and then she’s tightening her hold, and Trini shakes her head despite the fact that she can barely move it.

“Tighter.” She whispers, and she can almost feel Diana’s frown as she constricts her arms around Trini even tighter.

Trini squirms, watches as Rita does, too, wincing slightly, and she grins.

“Perfect.”

“Are you sure? It feels really strong-.”

“It’s perfect. Thank you.” 

“Of course.” Diana keeps her hold strong, and it holds even when she falls asleep, her chin resting on top of Trini’s head as Trini’s eyes finally close, and the last thing she sees is Rita rolling her eyes with a grin.

“Alright, good one, Yellow. You figured out a way to get some sleep…but don’t think you still won’t be weak enough for me to take control…you’re fighting a losing battle, DeeDee. It’s only a matter of time…”

-

“Yellow…”

Trini ignores her and pushes herself closer to Diana, focusing instead on the sound of her mother breathing as she sleeps soundlessly.

It’s been four days now, four days of sleeping with Diana’s arms secured around her, and Trini is starting to feel better.

Starting to feel better despite living in a constant state of fear every second of every minute of every hour of every day. She can sleep in peace now, well as peacefully as possible until Rita decides to book herself a one ticket show to Trini’s dreams.

Trini’s just thankful her dreams usually consist of her childhood, or spending time with the Rangers, everything peaceful for a change as Rita watches on in boredom.

“Can’t you dream of something exciting? Like…I don’t know...the way into the ship?” 

Trini had been avoiding training since that day Rita showed up inside the ship, and even though Jason constantly badgered her about why she was avoiding it, she continued to ignore him and continued to avoid showing up.

She’s pretty sure she can’t keep this up forever, it’s already been a week and Jason’s irritation is only growing, but she’ll keep it up for as long as she has to.

She needs to find a way to get Rita out of her mind.

“Yellow…I’m bored.” Rita whines, and Trini grits her teeth, keeps her eyes closed.

“I’m sleeping.” She grumbles.

“Not anymore.” Rita says, and Trini sighs.

“Leave me alone for five minutes, please.” She begs, and Rita hisses before standing and moving toward her, snaking down until her face is inches away from Trini’s, and Trini sees her eyes move down to Diana’s arms wrapped around her protectively as she bares her teeth.

“I can’t, DeeDee. I’m waiting for you to crack, for you to go back to the ship.” She hisses. Trini glares openly at her.

“You’ll be waiting a long time.” She says shakily, and Rita cackles, reaches a hand out to grab her throat before looking down at Diana’s arms again, and to Trini’s surprise, she’s retracting her hand with a hiss.

“We’ll see about that, DeeDee.” She says, and Trini watches as she goes back to her corner before letting out a sigh of relief.

Trini knows there’s something at the ship that Rita wants, but she’s not going to give it to her. Ever since that day she woke up in Diana’s room with a knife in her hand, Trini’s fought for control every second, refusing to let Rita get to her.

She only allows herself a few hours of sleep every night now, making sure that Diana’s arms are secure around her before falling into unconsciousness and suffering through Rita’s anger at not being able to use Trini’s body for her own gain, unable to escape Diana’s hold. 

Diana eventually wakes up, stirring as she relinquishes her hold on Trini and yawns loudly, and Trini watches her with a tired smile.

“How did you sleep?” She asks. Diana smiles.

“Well. How did you sleep?”

“Well.” Trini repeats, and Diana’s smile falters before she suddenly swipes her thumb under Trini’s left eye.

“These dark circles say differently.” She mutters, and Trini sighs.

“I’m at least getting more sleep than I was last week.” She says softly, and Diana sighs.

“True.” She sits up slowly, her joints cracking as she groans before reaching for her phone.

“I can book an appointment with that therapist whenever you want.” And Trini sighs again, because Diana’s been saying his every day for the last week, and Trini’s constantly been putting it off.

How the hell is she supposed to tell a therapist that she’s not suffering from PTSD, that what she’s really suffering from is some alien taking control of her mind, some alien who’s currently floating on the moon somewhere in outer space? 

She wouldn’t be surprised if she’s thrown in a looney bin for that confession. 

“Mom, I-.” Trini’s cut off by the sound of her phone buzzing. 

She reaches for it, sees it’s the Ranger Group Chat and opens it. 

_Go, Go Power Rangers! Group Chat:_

_JayJay: Guys, Kim’s home!_

Trini’s heart drops.

“What?” She chokes out. Kimberly wasn’t supposed to be back for another few days, or even a week…

Diana looks at her with a frown.

“What is it?”

The group chat goes crazy, and Trini watches each message with wide eyes, her heart pounding.

_ZackTaylorSwift: WHAT? Seriously?_  
_BillyBoy: Really? That’s so great! Yay!_  
_JayJay: Yeah, she just came over!_  
_KimbaSimba: Yeah, I’m here, Zack. With Jason right now._

Trini’s frozen, reading Kimberly’s message over and over, her heart pounding in her ears and she can feel Diana on one side, reading over her shoulder, and Rita on the other, light and darkness, an angel and a devil…

“Trouble in Pink paradise, Yellow?” Rita teases, and Trini closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in as Diana squeezes her shoulder.

“Why didn’t she tell you she’s back?” Diana asks.

“I…I don’t know.” Trini whispers.

The phone buzzes. More messages. 

_ZackTaylorSwift: Trini, your girl is back! Are you gonna be okay now?_

Trini doesn’t respond for a while, but she feels a burst of anger flood through her and she can hear Rita cackling beside her as her fingers tap the screen furiously.

_Trini’Fresh’Prince: I don’t know, that depends on what excuse she has for not telling me she was back. Have fun with Jason._

And Trini closes the chat and throws her phone on the mattress, watches it bounce before landing as she runs her shaking hands through her hair.

What the fuck is going on? Why didn’t Kimberly tell her she was home?

Rita is having the time of her life, laughing loudly as she rests her chin on Trini’s shoulder.

“Ooh, so Kimberly decides to go and see Jason before she sees you? Doesn’t even tell you she’s home? Now that’s not fair, Yellow…” Rita pouts, and Trini closes her eyes, tries to ignore her…

“I told you, didn’t I? She doesn’t care about you. You were just something to have fun with…but now that’s over.” Rita cackles. Trini feels her fingers gripping her hair before she feels a warm hand snake around her wrist. She turns to see Diana watching her with a frown.

“Trini.” She says sternly, and Trini looks up at her apologetically as she untangles her fingers from her hair.

“Sorry.” She whispers. 

Her phone buzzes again, and Trini looks down to see a text message from a number she recognizes instantly.

She contemplates ignoring it, but her body acts on it’s own as she grabs it and opens the message she knows is from Kimberly, even though she doesn’t have Kimberly’s number saved in her phone.

_I’m home. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was coming, a lot has happened…I don’t want to tell you over a text, I want to talk to you about it in person. I’ll be there as soon as I can._

_I’m sorry._

“Oh ignore her, Yellow. She doesn’t deserve an answer.” Rita says harshly, but Diana is rubbing her shoulders as she presses a kiss to Trini’s hair.

“Reply to her, little one.” She says softly, and Trini simply sends her two letters with shaking fingers tapping the phone.

_O.K._

Rita scoffs in disbelief, and Diana sighs.

“She’ll have an explanation. I’m sure of it.” 

Trini nods, purses her lips and collapses onto the bed with a sigh.

Apparently, as soon as she can for Kimberly means the middle of the night.

Zack comes over eventually during the day, tending to his roses as Diana cooks lunch and dinner for them and his mother, and he immediately envelops Trini in a warm hug, a sigh escaping him as Trini grips him tightly and tries her best not to cry.

“I’m sorry, Trin. I don’t know why she didn’t tell you.” He says, and Trini shrugs, buries her head in his chest.

“She’ll have an explanation, I’m sure.” She says, mirroring Diana’s words. 

Billy eventually shows up as well, telling her that Jason is still with Kimberly, which leaves Trini’s blood boiling as she ignores Rita’s cackles echoing in the room at the news.

“She’s upset, I know that much. Jason’s trying to help.” Billy says with a frown, and Trini simply nods. 

They spend the whole day playing video games and watching movies, Billy doing his own homework and Amanda and Rebecca’s, and Trini sighs and apologizes, smiles when Billy grins and shakes his head, tells her he loves doing homework anyway. 

“It’s okay! This stuff is easy anyway.” He says, answering another question with ease before moving to another one, and Trini presses a kiss to his cheek.

“You’re a genius, you know that, Billy?” He smiles and nods once. 

“Yeah, I know.”

As soon as Zack and Billy leave, Trini retires to her room, shoves headphones in her ears to ignore Rita’s gloating, and simply looks up stonily when Diana comes in to check on her at eleven o’clock.

“Still no Kimberly?” She asks from the door, and Trini just shakes her head. 

“She clearly doesn’t care, DeeDee…” Rita sing songs, and Trini grits her teeth and blasts her music once more, ignores Diana as she watches her with a frown before closing the door behind her.

By the time one o’clock comes around, Trini rips her headphones out and glares at the ceiling as Rita paces around her bed with a smirk.

“You know, Yellow, I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends things with you.” She says.

“Shut up.” Trini growls, and Rita laughs loudly.

“Oh, I’m getting under your skin, aren’t I, DeeDee?” She says, and Trini bites down on her lip.

When two o’clock hits, Trini hears the scraping sound of her window opening and she jumps up, watching as the window slides open.

Kimberly climbs through it, grunting with the effort, and Trini throws the blankets off herself and stands, but doesn’t walk toward her. 

As soon as Kimberly straightens up, Trini watches her, her arms crossing over her chest as Rita comes to a stop beside Kimberly, looking at her with a smirk.

“Oh, DeeDee…she looks like she’s about to break your heart.” She sings, and Trini bites down on her lip, because she kind of agrees with her.

Kimberly’s not smiling, her eyes gaunt as she avoids Trini’s gaze and stares instead at her feet, scuffing them on the floor as she sighs. 

“Hi.” She grumbles, and Trini glares at her before scoffing.

“Well, geez, if seeing me is so bothersome, you can leave now.” She says coldly, and Rita laughs loudly.

“Nice one, Yellow!” She crows, and Trini tries her best not to smirk as Kimberly’s head snaps up to look at her in shock.

“What? No, it’s…it’s just been a long day. I feel like all I’ve done all day is cry. But I’m done…I’m done crying.” She whispers.

Trini simply waits. 

A few minutes pass before Kimberly’s bottom lip trembles, and before Trini can do anything, she’s running forward and wrapping her arms around Trini’s neck, crying into her shoulder as Trini stumbles back in shock, all her anger dissipating immediately.

“Whoa, hey, Kim…” She says softly, rubbing her back gently as Kimberly grips the back of her shirt like a lifeline.

“God, I missed you.” Kimberly whines, and Trini bites down on her bottom lip before tears are falling down her face, and she buries her head into Kimberly’s neck and breathes her in, that familiar scent hitting her, a mixture of perfume and shampoo that has Trini smiling despite her anger.

“I missed you, too.” She whispers back, and she ignores Rita’s scoff of disbelief.

“You barely lasted a minute, Yellow. Pathetic.” She growls, and Trini bares her teeth before pulling away from Kimberly and running her fingers through her hair.

“What’s wrong?” Trini asks gently, and Kimberly sniffs before looking up at Trini and shaking her head.

“I have to tell you something.” She whispers, and she hugs Trini again, pressing a kiss to her shoulder and Trini feels goosebumps erupt on her skin.

“What?” She asks, and Kimberly whines before pulling away, fresh tears falling down her face.

“I-I’m supposed to be breaking up with you.” She gasps out, and Trini feels her heart break into tiny fissures, exploding against her chest painfully as she sucks in a sharp breath.

_No…no, no, no, no…_

“Oh ho, ho! Look at that, DeeDee! I was right!” Rita cheers, laughing loudly as Trini feels her knees wobble and she grips the frame of her bed to keep herself steady. 

“But I can’t do it. I can’t do it, Trini.” Kimberly whispers, shaking her head, and Trini bites down on her lip to stop herself from crying.

“Maybe you should go-.”

“No, no! Trini, please! Let me explain!” Kimberly cries, and she reaches out to grip Trini, cries loudly when Trini steps back out of her reach.

_Get it over with, get it over with, break my heart, go on…_

“If you’re gonna break up with me, do it.” Trini says calmly despite the anguish gripping her, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“I’m not! Trini, I’m trying to explain to you, I…I’ve been with Jason all day, trying to come up with a solution because I knew he could help me, I knew he could help me figure it all out. But let me explain everything so I can tell you why I’m not breaking up with you, why I refuse to. Please. Just let me explain, let me explain, please…” Trini waits, trying her best to breathe, to ignore Rita’s glowing green eyes as she steps behind Kimberly and looks at her in disgust.

“She’s lying, she’s still gonna do it. Still gonna break your heart.” Rita hisses, and Trini purses her lips and waits. Kimberly’s shaking her head furiously, drawing in shuddering breaths as Trini watches her with her arms crossed over her chest.

“My parents know about us.” She breathes out, and Trini’s heart drops.

They don’t say anything for a while, both of them watching each other before Kimberly lets out a shaky breath.

“We were fine for like a week, just mourning and grieving my grandmother, but the family…they’re all a bunch of gossipers. My family kept interrogating me, kept asking me about my boyfriend, about Ty, and when I told them I broke up with him, they asked me if I had anyone new, and…I said I did, and I just blanked. And then one of them made a comment that I was lying or dating a girl and when I didn’t say anything, mom just kind of put two and two together, and the next thing I knew she was dragging me away and yelling at me…” Kimberly trails off, and Trini can feel the guilt hitting her body like a tidal wave.

“Shit…” She runs her fingers through her hair, and Kimberly whines as she wraps her arms around Trini’s neck and rests her forehead against hers.

“They told me I’m not allowed to see you anymore, that I had to end things as soon as I got back, and I begged them not to make me choose…I begged them not to do this to me, but all they care about is their fucking pride, and I just…I went to Jason because I knew he could help me. And he did. He helped me realize that I can’t…I can’t do it, Trini, fuck…I care about you so much, and I can’t end it. I can’t.” She whispers. Trini bites down on her bottom lip, rests her hands on Kimberly’s waist as she tries her best not to cry.

“I don’t want you to end it.” She breathes out shakily, and Kimberly nods, nuzzling her head against Trini’s.

“I know…I don’t care what they want anymore. I don’t care about them anymore…” 

“They’re your parents, Kim.” Trini says softly and Kimberly chokes on a sob, shaking her head against Trini’s. 

“I don’t care.”

“Kim…”

“I don’t care. I can’t lose you. I couldn’t stop crying ever since they told me to do it, and being away from you, it was the worst feeling. I’ve never felt that low before, I…Jason told me he’s never seen me as happy as I am with you, and he’s right. He’s right, Trini. And if they don’t want me to be happy then they don’t deserve to be my parents. So fuck them. I don’t care. I want to be with you. I…” She trails off, and Trini bites back a smile, but Kimberly catches it, a small smile on her lips as she lets out a shaky breath.

“I love you, Trini.” She says, a soft chuckle escaping her as she says it. Trini feels her heart pounding against her chest, can feel her body shaking as she interlaces her fingers with Kimberly’s.

And her heart only races even faster when she utters the three words she’s never said to anyone other than Diana before.

“I love you, too.” She whispers back, and Kimberly whines as she kisses her deeply, tongue gliding across her bottom lip before clashing with her own, and Trini groans and wraps her arms around her, kissing her back just as passionately-

“God, she’s lying, Yellow!” Trini pulls away with a gasp, and Rita is standing over the both of them, a glare on her face as she shakes her head.

“You’re pathetic.” Rita hisses. Trini squeezes her eyes shut, bares her teeth, barely hears Kimberly asking her if she’s okay-

“I think I’m done playing games, DeeDee.” Rita growls, and Trini looks at her in shock.

“What?” She breathes out. 

“Trini, what is it?” Kimberly asks her softly, but all Trini can see is Rita’s wicked grin, her green eyes glowing as she steps forward before looking at Kimberly in disgust.

“She doesn’t have it in her to end it…then I’ll make you do it.” She hisses, looking at Trini with a sadistic grin.

Trini’s heart drops.

“No…” She whimpers, and Rita’s grin only widens as she nods.

“Oh yes, Yellow. You end it with her now, or I take over control and kill her using your bare hands.”

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Kimberly whispers. 

“Why are you doing this?” Trini breathes, and Rita digs her nails into her shoulder.

“Because you’re mine, Trini.” She hisses. Trini whimpers, and Rita’s grip on her shoulder tightens.

“You’re mine to do what I want with! NOW END IT!” She screams, and Trini can’t stop herself from crying, her knees finally giving way as she falls, and Kimberly catches her, looking at her in shock.

“Trini, what’s happening?” She cries, and it isn’t long before Diana’s bursting through the room, looking at them on the ground in shock.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know!” Kimberly exclaims.

“END IT, TRINI! NOW!” Rita shouts, and all their voices are mingling together, and Trini grips her head, tries to separate everything, but her head is pounding and her heart is hurting-

“You win.” She gasps out.

And for the first time in a long time, everything is silent.

Trini can hear a pin drop as Rita lets out a deep breath and crouches down next to her, and she shudders as her resolve breaks down.

It's over.

“What? What does that mean?” Kimberly whispers, and Trini looks up at her with tear filled eyes as Diana crouches down next to Kimberly and grips Trini’s shoulder, looking at her with concern.

“Trini? Talk to me, what’s happening?” She demands. 

Rita laughs in her ear, and Trini turns to look at her as her green eyes glow wildly, and she extends her index finger, her nail scraping along Trini’s jawline and making her shudder.

“Say that again, Yellow…” She breathes, closing her eyes and breathing in as Trini lets out a shaky breath.

“You win. I’ll take you to the ship. Just don’t make me do this…” She whispers, and Rita moans in pleasure as she opens her eyes, and they glow brightly as she cackles.

“Good girl, DeeDee…good girl.” She purrs, and Trini chokes on a sob as she looks at Diana and Kimberly.

“Trini?” Diana says, Kimberly gripping her hand tightly.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers. And before either of them can grab her, she’s running toward the window and jumping out of it, ignoring their cries as she runs as fast as her feet can take her, the sound of Rita’s laughter echoing in her mind, unaware that Diana and Kimberly are both frozen in shock back in her room, both of their hearts racing as they breath heavily.

“Her eyes-.” Kimberly chokes out.

“I saw.” Diana whispers. 

Because for the briefest moment, both of them saw Trini’s eyes lose their kindness, their compassion, their spirit, lose their chocolate brown color…

For the briefest moment, they saw her eyes glow green.

And both of them utter her name at the same time, grief and anguish running through Kimberly, and anger and rage boiling through Diana, but fear running through both of their veins.

“Rita.”


	7. I'll tell you my sins, and you can sharpen your knife (offer me that deathless death, good god, let me give you my life)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Take Me To Church" by Hozier. 
> 
> don't kill me pt. tres =D  
> comments are appreciated!

“I didn’t see it, I didn’t see it, why didn’t I see it…”

Kimberly is watching Diana pace wildly, her eyes wide and her hands clenched in fists as they wait for the others to show up.

She’s never seen Diana like this before, she looks almost hysterical, her whole body trembling as she paces back and forth at an almost inhuman speed, breathing deeply as she shakes her head over and over again, refusing to believe in any of it…

“Diana…you can’t blame yourself-.”

“She told me! She told me right to my face that she was seeing Rita everywhere and I didn’t listen!” Diana yells, her accent growing stronger due to her overwhelming emotions, and Kimberly bites down on her lip to stop herself from crying. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, she’s not sure she can even believe it.

How could her entire world have been so perfect and yet so destroyed so quickly?

One second they were telling each other ‘I love you’ and the next, Trini was gone.

Kimberly can’t wrap her head around it, can’t understand it…

“When I get my hands on that woman…” Diana whispers, and Kimberly looks up at her with a frown.

“I don’t understand. Is she being possessed, or is Rita here, I just…I don’t understand.” Diana looks at her, eyes filled with rage before she runs her fingers through her hair in frustration.

“I should have seen it…” 

Before Kimberly can respond, the front door suddenly bursts open and Kimberly’s jumping to her feet as Zack, Billy and Jason run through the door, all of them with looks of concern on their faces and Kimberly whimpers and jumps up, running straight toward them as her heart pounds against her chest with relief. 

“Kim-.” Jason’s the first to embrace her, hugging her tightly as she cries into his shoulder and Billy and Zack wrap their arms around the both of them, the four of them huddled together in their grief.

They’ve lost a Ranger, and none of them saw it coming.

Kimberly jumps when another set of arms wrap around them, and she can almost feel the grief and anguish emanating from Diana as she joins the group hug, her tall frame almost big enough to wrap her arms around all four of them.

“What do we do?” Jason asks Diana in a small voice. 

“We have to find her.” Diana murmurs, and Jason nods before he pulls away from Kimberly and grips her shoulders, the leader in him taking over.

“You said she said something about the ship?” He asks Kimberly, and she bites down on her bottom lip to stop it from trembling as she nods.

She needs to be strong right now.

“What exactly did she say?” Jason asks.

“She said ‘You win. I’ll take you to the ship, just don’t make me do this’…” Kimberly says firmly, and Jason frowns.

“So Rita needs something from the ship. But what?”

“I don’t know…” Kimberly whispers.

“This is why Zordon should have told us everything that happened with Rita, we asked him over and over again, but all he did was avoid the subject!” Zack hisses, looking at Jason in anger and Billy’s the one to shake his head as he reaches out and grips Zack’s shoulder.

“Look man, now’s not the time to get mad at Zordon. We’ve gotta save Trini. That’s our top priority.” 

“But how do we do that? We can’t just go running after them-.”

“We’ve got no choice. Whatever Rita wants from the ship, it can’t be good. We’ve gotta get to the ship. Now.” Jason says firmly, and when Zack and Billy nod along in agreement, she sighs and reluctantly gives Jason a simple nod.

“Let’s get moving-.”

“Wait!” They all freeze, all of them turning as Diana looks at each of them before she takes a deep breath in and nods.

“I’m coming with you. Morph into your suits while I make a call and change.” She says, and Zack opens his mouth to say something, but doesn’t get the chance to. Diana runs upstairs as fast as she can, grabbing her phone from her pocket as she does and all of them watch her for a long time before Zack turns to the others.

“Morph into our suits? Who is she calling? What is she changing into?” Zack asks in confusion. Jason purses his lips. 

“Her armor, Zack. And she’s probably calling the Justice League.” Jason says with a sigh. Kimberly’s heart drops, and they all exchange looks of shock.

“Is…is she expecting a fight?” Kimberly whispers, and Jason turns to look at her gravely, and his response has her choking on the lump that forms in her throat at his words.

“Aren’t you?”

-

Trini’s on the verge of death.

She can feel it. The darkness that tints her eyes, and the way her body doesn’t seem to be moving forward anymore, each step causing pain and each movement taking all the energy she has in her.

Rita walks beside her, her frustration growing more and more as Trini tries her best to keep going, but even her Ranger powers aren’t helping her.

She’s too weak.

“If you don’t move faster, Yellow, I’ll wrap a collar around that pretty little neck of yours and drag you.” Rita growls, and Trini groans as she reaches up to climb the Cliffside, pushing herself up as her shoulders tremble and her fingers ache terribly.

As soon as she reaches the chasm where the ship is buried underneath the water, she stops short, gasping for air as she rests her hands on her shaking knees.

“Why are we stopping?” Rita hisses, and then her fingers are gripping Trini’s hair and forcing her up and Trini cries out in pain before grabbing Rita’s hands wrapped in her hair, trying to elevate some of the pain.

“D-Down there!” She croaks out, nodding down the chasm and hissing in pain when it causes Rita’s fingers to dig further into her scalp. Rita scoffs and lets her go, pushing her forward and Trini collapses onto her knees.

“After you, Yellow.” Trini ignores the pain that explodes at the impact of her knees hitting the graveled rock surface of the Cliff, and she’s pretty sure she’s got cuts and bruises all over her body from Rita constantly pushing her to move faster. She grits her teeth and stands on shaking legs before she takes a deep breath in and closes her eyes before jumping off the cliff in a dive. 

As soon as she meets the water, it hits her like a bucket full of ice, stinging her body as she squeezes her eyes shut and winces, wishing more than anything that the water would take her away from this, all of this…

But when she opens them, Rita is floating beside her, a wide grin on her face and it hits her that there’s no escaping, and as Trini begins swimming downward, with every stroke, her heart drops further.

She doesn’t want to do this…she knows what will happen if Rita gets inside that ship…

The whole world will end as she knows it.

As soon as she surfaces and drops down from the ceiling, she lands on her knees and screams as her leg explodes with pain. She grips it tightly, baring her teeth before looking up to see Rita waiting for her, her eyebrow raised as she holds a hand out to help her.

“You’ve been torturing me for weeks a-and now you wanna h-help me up?” Trini gasps out, and Rita sighs.

“It’s this or I make good on that collar, DeeDee. Now get up.” Trini glares at her, and she bares her teeth and slaps her hand away before standing. As soon as she puts pressure on her knee, pain explodes throughout her right leg and she gasps and grips it, looking down at it to see it’s shaking terribly, her jeans torn as blood soaks them. 

She limps her way toward the entrance of the ship, Rita shoving her slightly to move faster, and she stops just before it, biting her lip in hesitation before Rita sighs impatiently behind her.

“Collar…” She sing songs, and Trini bares her teeth and squeezes her eyes shut.

She has no choice.

She steps forward, and when the entrance whines before the doors roll upward, she groans in anguish as Rita cackles loudly behind her.

“Oh, Yellow…Yellow, Yellow, Yellow…this is a dream come true.” 

Trini’s frozen as the door comes to a stop, the entrance to the ship completely exposed, but Rita doesn’t urge her forward, and Trini looks back at her to see she’s simply staring at the entrance in awe as tears well in her eyes.

“Sixty five million years…” She whispers, looking up at it with a mixture of regret and sadness. Trini shudders, drenched in water and still on the verge of collapse as her whole body threatens to give up its task of standing still and that seems to catch Rita’s attention.

“Go on, Yellow…” She breathes, looking at her gleefully, and Trini swallows the lump in her throat before she limps forward.

She makes her way up the steps, tries her best not to cry with each step up, and walks through the front door.

She hears the telltale sign of Alpha 5 moving toward her, the sound of his feet hitting the steel of the ship, and a low whine escapes her when Alpha 5 comes into view, a warning on the tip of her tongue before he brightens up and quickens his pace when he realizes who’s waiting for him.

“Trini? It’s you! We’ve been wondering where you are, Jason said-.”

“Get rid of him.” Rita hisses, effectively cutting off Alpha 5’s words, but Trini doesn’t move.

She can’t hurt him.

“Trini, is everything okay? You seem a bit pale. Maybe I should scan-.”

Rita growls, and then Trini’s arm is acting on its own as she reaches down and grabs Alpha 5’s metallic arm between her fingers and yanks him forward before swinging him around behind her. A silent scream builds in her throat as she hears the sounds of his shouts of confusion before he’s bumping down the stairs and landing in a metal heap at the bottom, sparks flying off his body as he groans.

Trini stares in horror as Rita laughs loudly and looks at Trini with glee.

“Keep going.” She hisses wickedly, and Trini looks back at the cavern, reaches an arm out to Alpha 5-

“I said keep going!” Rita growls, and she grabs Trini’s bicep and spins her around as Trini sniffs and wipes her tears away before making her way further into the ship, stopping just as they enter the center of it, the lights in the room flashing on and Trini stares longingly at the morphing grid.

God, she’d do anything to get her hands on her suit right now…

But she knows she’s way too weak to attempt it, but maybe, maybe she can just try-

“It’s to the left, DeeDee. Move it.” Rita says, and Trini pauses for a moment before passing the morphing grid and entering the left hallway of the ship, somewhere she’s never been before.

But she barely makes it five steps before the wall lights up and Zordon blinks into focus.

Trini’s heart skips a beat as he stares around the room before his eyes lock onto her.

“Trini? What is it?” He asks firmly.

“Ignore him, I’ll deal with him later. Get to where I need you.” Rita growls, and Trini hesitates before doing as she’s told, almost on autopilot as she makes her way down the hallway.

“Trini? Trini, where are you going? Trini!” Zordon’s calls for her to come back, but Trini ignores him.

Until-

“Alpha! Alpha, where are you?” 

Trini chokes on a sob, her heart breaking, but she keeps moving.

She’s never been to this section of the ship before, none of them have, and it isn’t long before Rita’s the one leading the way now, walking in front of Trini eagerly as Trini follows behind her reluctantly.

She makes a right before making another left and then she comes to a stop in front of a room Trini’s never seen before.

They’ve always been so focused on training that exploring the ship never even crossed their minds. She has no idea what’s on the other side of this door.

But Rita does.

She lets out a moan of pleasure as she looks at Trini with wide eyes.

“This is it.” She whispers.

“What?” Trini whispers back. Rita points at the door.

“Your coin. Place it in the slot.” She says firmly, and Trini looks to the door to see a small circle shape cut out in the middle of it. Trini swallows the lump in her throat and reaches into her pocket for her Power Coin. 

She whines when she sees the Yellow is almost completely obliterated, and she looks at Rita with tear filled eyes.

“Are you…what happens…?” She doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t know how to voice her worries when Rita chuckles and steps forward, running her fingers through Trini’s hair.

“Don’t worry, Yellow. You’ll understand everything soon enough. That’s if I don’t kill you for not doing as I say. So how about you do as I say…and put that Power Coin in the slot to open the door?” She hisses, and Trini winces as her nails dig into her scalp before she nods. Rita lets her go, and Trini grips the Power Coin and steps forward, fear gripping her as she places the Coin into the slot against the door.

The Power Coin shines brightly, a light green filter echoing around the room before there’s loud noises and the door hisses and begins opening.

“Get in, DeeDee!” Rita cries out, and Trini looks up to see Rita urging her forward. She winces in pain, but jumps forward into the room, clutching her knee when it gives way beneath her before looking around the room in wonder.

In the middle of the room is a pedestal, similar to the ones around the morphing grid, except this one is bright purple instead of white, and Trini looks around the room to see a glass case on the side with what looks like golden bracelets in it. 

But apart from that, the room is empty, nothing but the tile grated floor and the steel walls surrounding it.

“What is this place?” Trini asks. Rita steps forward and looks at the pedestal in awe.

“That, Yellow…is my ticket off the moon.” She breathes, reaching out to touch the railing of the pedestal.

Trini freezes.

Her heart is pounding against her chest as Rita stares at the pedestal for a long time before looking up at Trini gleefully.

“Get on the pedestal, Trini.”

“Not until you tell me what it is.” Trini breathes, clenching her fists to hide how her hands are shaking with fear as Rita rolls her eyes.

“Can we maybe do this later?”

“No. Now. You owe me this. You’ve tortured me for weeks, I deserve to know if you’re about to…to take over my body.” She says firmly, and Rita stares at her for a long time before she seems to come to a conclusion.

“I’m not possessing you, Yellow. You’re not going to turn into me, and I’m not going to turn into you.” She says finally, and Trini almost collapses on the spot.

“But…my coin-.” She gasps out, and Rita holds up a hand to silence her as she rolls her eyes before pointing at the purple pedestal. 

“It’s a teleportation device, Yellow. Gets Rangers from Point A to B without all the hassle of riding Zords across the world to get there. It can teleport us to anywhere…and from anywhere. We just have to be wearing the bands, and lucky for me…I’m still wearing mine from sixty five million years ago.” She chuckles, and Trini looks down at her wrist to see that there is indeed a golden bracelet wrapped around it, something she thought was just a part of the design of her suit…

“If you’ve had the band all along, why didn’t you do this ages ago?” Trini whispers, and Rita steps toward her, reaching out to caress her cheek as she smirks.

“Because in order for the bands to work, there needs to be a mental link between the Rangers. That’s why your coin has been getting little flecks of Green in it, DeeDee. A mental link that allows us to become one.”

Trini closes her eyes, lets out a sigh as she nods.

“That’s why you’re always in my head…” She whispers, and Rita laughs.

“Yes. If I didn’t have the training that you clearly don’t have, you’d be showing up on the moon where I am, too. But I learned a long time ago how to block out the mental link from the other Rangers…my skills are much more advanced than any of yours, a simple mistake that has cost Zordon greatly.” She hisses. Trini blinks before looking up at her.

“So what…what happens now?” Trini whispers. Rita watches her before she smirks. 

“I’ve been trying to reach one of you ever since you threw me into the atmosphere, DeeDee. I considered Blue for a while, but…there was something about you, Yellow. I knew you’d be easier to crack. Blue is loyal, pure of heart, but you…you’re tainted. You’re just like me. It’s only a matter of time before you betray your team as well. And look…you’re already halfway there, leading their enemy to their ship…all so you can save your little relationship!” Rita laughs loudly, and Trini feels the guilt bear down on her like a hundred pound weight, crushing her as she gasps for air and tears fall down her face. Rita brushes her tears away before gripping her chin with her fingers.

“You’re selfish, Trini. But it’s okay…as soon as we’re done here, I’ll kill them all…and then you and I can rule the world together.” 

Trini’s bottom lip trembles, and Rita leans forward and presses her lips against Trini’s cheek before breathing her in, humming before she pulls away and looks at the case with bracelets.

“Go put one on and step on the pedestal, Trini.” She says, her voice soft but firm at the same time, and Trini knows there’s no use in fighting, no use in asking for details. Rita won’t tell her anything.

And Trini will still do it because Rita’s right.

She’s selfish.

She moves to the case, eyes stinging with tears and exhaustion as she opens it and grabs one of the golden bracelets lying in it. She slides it over her hand, and as soon as it settles on her wrist, there’s a strange clicking sound before it shrinks and locks into place securely around her wrist. There’s a burning sensation as soon as the bracelet locks and Trini hisses in pain and grabs it, trying to pry it off, but it’s no use.

“The pedestal, Trini.” Rita says, her voice getting a little impatient now, and Trini looks up at the pedestal, watches it glow a bright purple before she takes a deep breath in and moves forward. 

She stops short before it, and she looks up at Rita, who looks like she’s about to pass out with excitement.

“Will it hurt?” She whispers. Rita shakes her head.

“No. Hurry.” She urges, and Trini bites down on her lip before grabbing the railings on either side of the pedestal and stepping on.

As soon as her foot makes contact, the pedestal lights up with white light that blinds her, and Trini is screaming.

She’s on fire. 

She’s on fire and the flames can’t possibly be extinguished, not with water, or air, or anything, she’s on fire, she’s burning, she’s dying-

Her heart is racing way too fast for her to still be alive, and it’s possible she’s having a heart attack along with being on fire, her whole body shaking and throbbing with pain-  
She’s never felt pain like this before, and she’s positive she never will. She’s not sure how her grip on the railings is staying secure, but her whole body is contorting, and it feels like every bone in her body is breaking apart-

And all too suddenly, it stops.

The white light bursts one last time before she’s thrown back by a force she can’t see, and Trini falls flat on her face as she gasps for air, the corners of her eyes turning dark as bile rises in the back of her throat, and before she can stop herself, she’s vomiting, pushing herself up weakly by her hands as a flood of liquid escapes her mouth.

It doesn’t hit her that it’s blood until her eyes finally focus and she sees the red coloration against the tiled steel of the ship. Her eyes are stinging, white lights flashing every time she blinks as she chokes down air and wills her arms to stop shaking as she holds herself up-

“When I said it wouldn’t hurt, Yellow…I lied.” 

Trini almost faints.

See, there was always something about Rita’s appearance in her dreams and her reality that made Trini know she wasn’t really there.

Yes, everything she did was painful, and Trini could feel everything Rita did to her, had the marks to prove it because of their…what did Rita say? Mental link…

But Rita’s voice always had a slight echo whenever she spoke, something to let Trini know that she wasn’t really there. Something to confirm her suspicions that it was all in her head, that Rita wasn’t physically on Earth…

But now…now it’s different.

There’s no echo anymore.

Trini doesn’t want to look, keeps her eyes downcast on the blood that’s escaped her mouth on the floor, but it isn’t long before she feels nails run through her hair and grip it tightly.

And it always felt real before, but this…

THIS is real.

Her nails are sharp, and ten times more painfully than they ever were before, and Trini feels like she’s back in her bedroom the first time Rita attacked her, being pinned to the wall as she’s tugged up by her hair into a standing position. Trini gasps for air, and as soon as Rita steps into her vision, she can’t help but the wail of anguish that escapes her.

She’s here.

She’s really here.

All Trini can see is the green glow of her eyes as she bares her teeth, glinting gold in the now dissipating white light from the pedestal as she cackles loudly.

She looks around the ship with pride, a tear escaping her left eye as she finally turns her attention to Trini, a soft whine escaping her.

“Yellow…so good to actually see you…to actually touch you.” She breathes, and Trini can’t help the whimper that escapes her when Rita leans forward and brushes her nose across Trini’s jawline, humming in content as she sniffs her in.

“Hmm…it always felt so fake before but now it’s real…” She moans, and Trini chokes on a sob as Rita moves her hand out of her hair and rests it on her shoulder instead.

“You and I have a lot of work to do, DeeDee. Come on.” And before Trini can do anything, Rita’s wrapping a hand around the back of her neck and squeezing it, and Trini bares her teeth as Rita wraps her other hand around her staff and makes her way toward the door, dragging Trini along with her.

She comes to a stop at the left panel of the door, grinning as she takes out Trini’s Power Coin from the slot and the door slams shut behind them.

And Trini groans when she sees her Power Coin still has flecks of Green on it as Rita throws it up and Trini catches it and turns it over in her hands.

God, what she’d do to just see that Yellow color take over…

“Not yet, DeeDee. I still need you.” Rita hisses, and she grips her neck tighter as she begins dragging her back down the hallway. 

When they reach the center of the ship, Trini sees Zordon isn’t there, the wall completely blank and she whimpers, about to call out his name, to beg for his help because there needs be someone, somewhere who can stop this, can stop Rita-

“Let her go, Rita!” 

Rita grinds to a halt, her nails digging into Trini’s skin as they both look up at the same time, and Trini cries out in relief, her knees shaking terribly. 

All of the Rangers are at the entrance of the ship, and Trini can see Alpha 5 standing in the corner as well, and she almost groans in relief. All of the Rangers are in their armor with their visors and helmets down as they look at the sight before them. 

Rita, in the flesh, gripping Trini tightly as she growls under her breath at the Rangers that stand in her way.

She can feel the shock coming off the others, but Kimberly’s the first to snap out of it, her eyes moving to Trini as she glares at Rita and steps forward.

“We said let her go.” Kimberly growls, and Rita laughs loudly.

“Why? Because she’s yours? Think again, Kimmy.” She hisses, and Trini whines when her nails dig into the skin of her neck and blood begins dripping down her back.

“STOP!” Kimberly runs forward, but Jason grabs her and holds her back as Rita laughs manically, shaking her head as she looks at them gleefully.

“Oh, you’re all so emotional! So willing to die for each other-.”

“Let her go.”

The voice is calm. Collected. 

Trini knows that voice from anywhere and she almost faints on the spot.

The Rangers step aside.

And Diana Prince steps forward.

But Trini can’t see a hint of her mother as her eyes take in the red and blue armor, the band that holds her hair back from her face, the shield that rests in her left hand as she reaches behind her for the sword strapped to her back.

All Trini can see is Wonder Woman. No Diana Prince in sight.

The warrior has come out in full force.

“Let her go, and I won’t kill you.” Wonder Woman says calmly, her hand wrapping around the hilt of her sword, and Trini looks up at Rita.

And she’s completely taken aback to see, for the first time ever, complete and utter fear shining in Rita’s eyes.

Wonder Woman steps forward, and Rita steps back, dragging Trini with her.

Wonder Woman steps forward again, and Rita growls before she slams her staff into the ground.

“ENOUGH!”

Trini watches as a long, green piece of rope that glows neon green appears in Rita’s hands, and before Trini can react, she clicks her fingers and the rope is suddenly around her neck, tightening as Rita throws her down to the ground onto her hands and knees and tugs on it.

Trini’s knee burns with pain on the impact, but it’s nothing compared to the feeling of air refusing to go down her throat as she chokes, tries desperately to scrabble at the rope around her neck, but it’s so tight the rope is burning her skin, tears welling in her eyes from the pain as Rita hisses and tugs on it again.

“Take another step and I snap her neck clean.” She hisses at Wonder Woman, and Trini watches a flash of her mother appear in the eyes of the warrior as she looks down at Trini in panic and stops short.

“Told you I’d make good on that collar, DeeDee.” Rita cackles, and Trini bares her teeth before whining as the rope burns her skin once more and chokes the air out of her again. 

All of them are frozen, glaring at Rita with enough hatred to kill her on the spot as Jason speaks up.

“How did you come back?” Jason growls, and Rita looks up at him with a sadistic grin.

“Yellow helped me! Didn’t you, DeeDee?” She cackles, and when Trini doesn’t answer, refuses to show her betrayal to the team, Rita tugs on the rope and laughs when Trini cries out in pain.

“Answer the question, Yellow!” She growls, and Trini nods, gasping for air as she scrabbles at the rope around her neck again.

“Y-Yes!” She chokes out, and she looks up at Wonder Woman to see a hint of Diana come out, watches as Diana closes her eyes and clenches her jaw in anger before she looks at Rita.

And the rage in her eyes is something Trini’s never, ever seen before. 

And Trini hates herself for being so weak, for being so pathetic-

“Rita!” They all jump as a light fills the room, and Trini groans in relief at the sound of Zordon’s voice, turning to look behind her to see he’s appeared on the wall again, his pixelated eyes on Rita as she looks up at him with a growl.

And the look they share is a million different things.

Anger and hatred and rage in Rita. Grief and regret and guilt in Zordon.

“Zordon! How nice of you to join us.” She hisses, and Zordon looks down at Trini with what can only be taken as anguish before he looks at Rita again.

“Your quarrel is with me. Leave these kids out of it.” He says softly, and Rita’s eyes widen before she scoffs in disbelief.

“Oh, don’t tell me you’ve grown to actually care for these kids, Zordon?!” She roars, and when his eyes fall down to Trini again, Rita takes that as an answer and laughs loudly.

“Oh, this is too easy! If I had known how easy this would be, I would have done this weeks ago!” 

“Let Trini go, Rita. Enough.” Zordon says firmly, and Rita laughs as she tugs on the rope with a hum as she rests her hand on top of Trini’s head for half a second before her nails dig into her hair, gripping it tightly.

“No. I think I’ll keep her. I like her, Zordon. She’s pretty...and so, so much like me. We get along, don’t we, Yellow?” She says softly, and Trini wants to say no, wants to shake her head in defiance, but Rita tugs on the rope and it burns, it burns so much…

“Y-Yes.” She whispers, and Rita hums in content.

“Rita, please…she’s just a child.” Zordon whispers, and Rita hisses.

“So was I.” She growls, and Trini looks back and forth between the two as Zordon bows his head, averts his gaze before Rita turns and looks at the others standing in her way.

“Let us go and I won’t kill her.” She says firmly, tugging on the rope for emphasis as Trini whines.

“You won’t kill her. You just said you like her.” Zack says, and Trini groans because of course, of course Zack would think to say that…

“You really think that, don’t you, Black?” Rita hisses, and Trini knows what’s coming before it happens.

Rita wraps a second hoop around her neck and forces her to stand, and as soon as Trini is standing upright, she steps behind her and pulls the rope against her neck from behind, and Trini can feel her eyes beginning to darken as she gasps for air, her lungs burning against her chest as she digs her nails into Rita’s arm to get her to let go-

“Believe me now, Black!?” Rita roars, and they’re all crying out and running forward as Diana bares her teeth and growls.

“STOP! STOP, PLEASE!” Kimberly screams, and Rita screams over her.

“TAKE ANOTHER STEP, AND I CHOKE THE LIFE RIGHT OUT OF HER!” They all come to a stop, breathing heavily as Trini looks at each of them. 

Zack is looking at her in terror over what he’s done. 

Billy looks desperate to get to her, tears falling down her face as his hand reaches out.

Jason is glaring at Rita, his eyes only on her as he clenches and unclenches his fist.

Kimberly is crying, her bottom lip trembling as she looks at Trini in grief.

And Diana has eyes only for Rita, the same anger in Jason’s eyes burning in her own tenfold and Trini knows she won’t look at her.

She needs to stay focused, needs to be Wonder Woman, not Diana Prince.

And looking at Trini in this way will only break her heart. 

Rita cackles before finally loosening her hold and Trini gasps for air, almost collapses as Rita holds her up, gripping her bicep into her hand before looking at Diana with a wicked grin.

“You know, I don’t know much about you, but I know you’re special. I’ve sensed that much in your daughter’s mind. You don’t have any weaknesses, do you, Diana?” Rita hisses, gripping Trini’s chin with her fingers and chuckling as her eyes never leave Diana’s. 

“Looks like I just found one.” She whispers, and her tongue snakes out, licking the side of Trini’s face as she whimpers and tries to inch away, the tears falling before she can stop them and Trini looks at Diana to see tears falling down her face as her bottom lip trembles.

And as soon as Trini sees that, she knows they’ve lost.

They’ve lost before the war could even begin.

All because they care about each other too much…because they never learned that sacrifices are necessary-

“Mom…” Trini whispers. And Diana’s façade breaks completely as she turns to look at Trini with eyes filled with grief. Rita digs her nails into her arm.

“I didn’t say you could speak.” She hisses, and Trini says nothing more, cries quietly as Rita looks at the others.

“I’m leaving with her. Any of you follow me, I’ll kill her. It’s time I took this world for my own. And you can all watch as your little DeeDee joins me in destroying this world.” Rita calls out, and when no one moves to stop her, she cackles and begins dragging Trini along with the rope as she still attempts to elevate the pain around her neck to no avail.

But when they reach the top of the stairs, they both come to a stop at the sound of a voice.

“When I get my hands on you…” Rita stops short at the sound of Diana’s voice, and she hasn’t moved from her spot as she turns and glares at Rita openly.

“When I get my hands on you, you will beg for death.” She whispers. 

And there’s a flash of fear in Rita’s eyes before she blinks and scoffs.

“And when I kill your daughter, you’ll be begging for the same, Diana.” She hisses, and before any of the others can move, Rita leaves the entrance and drags Trini along with her, Trini watching the others in anguish as the entrance door slides down slowly. 

As soon as it shuts, Rita chuckles before she caresses Trini’s cheek.

“Don’t worry, DeeDee. I’m not going to kill you…” She says softly, and finally, finally, she removes the rope from around Trini’s neck, pulling it up and over her head harshly and she cries out in pain, gasping air down as fast as she can and coughing when it whistles down her throat painfully. 

“Y-You’re not?” She gasps out, looking at her in shock. Rita chuckles.

“Hmm, not yet, at least. Maybe I’ll kill you, maybe I’ll do something that will make you want me to kill you. We’ll see how I feel when this is all over.” Trini’s lip trembles and she’s not sure what she’s feeling.

Relief that an end might be in sight, or fear at the fact that her life is actually hanging in the balance of a mad woman.

Rita grabs her arm and drags her to the water above them, looking up at it with a sadistic grin before looking at Trini.

“Now, let’s go have some fun!” 

-

It’s strange, because neither of them move for a few moments before they’re all collectively rushing toward the door, Kimberly’s mind only on getting to Trini when Zordon’s voice echoes around the ship.

“Don’t move!” 

They all freeze, all of them looking up at Zordon as he watches them each individually with careful eyes.

“Not yet. She’ll kill Trini if you go after her too soon.” He says firmly.

“She can kill Trini now if we don’t stop her!” Kimberly yells, looking at him in disbelief. 

“You don’t know Rita like I do-.”

“Yeah because you never told us anything about her!” Zack roars, and Zordon glares at him as Alpha 5 suddenly pipes up.

“My circuits may be a bit haywire right now, but Zack, even I know that that story is complicated-.” He starts before Zordon interrupts him.

“It is a story you cannot possibly understand, cannot begin to comprehend-.”

“You do not control these kids. Their friend, my daughter, is in danger! If they want to move, they’ll move!” Diana shouts suddenly, looking up at Zordon in rage, and Zordon blinks down at her rapidly as if she’s someone he doesn’t know.

And she isn’t.

“You’re not from here…who are you, creature?” He asks, and Diana bares her teeth.

“Who I am is none of your concern.” She hisses. 

“She’s Wonder Woman, a Goddess from the island of Themyscira, her powers are beyond what we know, Zordon!” Alpha 5 says, and Zordon looks at Diana, almost as if he’s trying to see right through her as she shakes her head and glares at Alpha 5.

“None of that matters, all that matters is that I am Trini’s mother, and you are responsible for all of this! You brought my daughter into this mess.” She yells at Zordon. 

“The Power Coin found her because she was destined for this!” Zordon yells, and Diana suddenly slams her sword down into the ground.

“She was destined to have a normal life! You ruined that for her!” She screams.

“And having a Goddess for a mother was supposed to do that for her?!” Zordon shouts back, and Diana’s about to surge forward, possibly seconds away from ripping the wall to pieces when Kimberly jumps in front of her and pushes her back, gripping her shoulders tightly.

“STOP! This isn’t helping Trini!” She shouts, and Diana fights against her before she suddenly stops and looks at her in shock. Her eyes fill with tears before they fall down her cheeks, and she wipes them away and sniffs before glaring up at Zordon.

“I will fix this mess you’ve made. But after that, she’s done. I won’t have her do this anymore. Being a Ranger has only destroyed her life! I won’t let it continue.” Diana says firmly.

“That is not for you to decide. Whether she wants to be a Ranger or not is up to Trini and Trini alone.” Zordon says calmly. Diana laughs in disbelief.

“And do you really think she’ll want to continue being a Ranger when this is what it’s done to her? Do you see what that woman is doing to her? She’s treating her like dirt, like a pet, I-.” Diana grips her hair in frustration, and Kimberly can feel her anger burning through her own body, her mind replaying Rita choking the life out of Trini with that rope-

“Diana, I understand you’re upset, but Zordon’s right. Trini loves being a Ranger. But we can’t sit here and discuss this right now, we need to go after them.” Jason says softly, and Kimberly’s pulled out of her thoughts as Diana looks at each of the Rangers before looking up at Zordon.

“Jason, you can’t go, it’s too risky-.” Zordon starts, but Jason shakes his head.

“I know that! And I promised myself after what happened with Billy last time, I would never rush into a situation again! But Rita has Trini, Zordon. She has Trini and we can’t just stay back and come up with a plan. She can kill her at any moment, and there’s no coming back from that like Billy did. I’m sorry, but I can’t risk another member of my team dying. We have to stop her. No matter the cost.” Jason says, and they all begin making their way to the entrance when Zordon speaks up again.

“Even if it means losing another member?” He calls, and Jason comes to a stop. He turns, looking at each of the Rangers before looking up at Zordon.

“When we all said we’d trade our lives for Billy, we meant it as a team. I’m willing to trade my life for Trini’s.” He says, and Kimberly’s nodding without hesitation.

“So am I.” She says, and Billy and Zack look at Zordon with determination.

“So am I.” Zack says, lifting his head.

“And so am I.” Billy finishes, crossing his arms over his chest. Diana looks at each of them with a mixture of gratitude and awe before she raises an eyebrow and looks at Zordon.

“You may train them, but they control their own destinies. Trini is their family as much as she is mine. And where I come from, dying for family is an honor, not a sacrifice.” Diana says, gripping her shield tightly in her hands. 

Zordon is quiet for a long time, before he lets out a long sigh.

“You’ll need the Zords. Take them.” He says softly. Jason nods once before looking at the others. 

“Come on.”

Kimberly’s dashing toward the Pit, Diana close behind her as she comes to a stop beyond the Pit where the Zords are, each of them whirring from the proximity of their owners.

“Diana, you can ride on top of my Zord. I hope you don’t mind a lot of wind.” Kimberly says, and Diana doesn’t say anything, just jumps down after her as Kimberly enters her Pterodactyl Zord. As soon as the others are secure in their own Zords, Kimberly’s eyes move to Trini’s Saber Tooth Tiger Zord, unmoving and still and her heart sinks as tears well in her eyes.

But when there’s a loud bang atop her Zord and she looks up to see Diana gripping the Zord, her face filled with determination and rage, Kimberly feels a fire light inside her heart.

No time for fear, no time for grief.

Trini needs her.

-  
Trini’s watching the destruction from the Cliff below her in horror.

It’s like Rita’s first attack all over again.

There’s no Goldar here to cause chaos, but there’s got to be at least over a thousand Putties, all of them destroying Angel Grove once more, knocking down the construction for buildings on the verge of completion from repair, work that will need to start all over again as they make their way to a half-repaired Krispy Kreme and Trini watches her entire city burn, fires erupting and people running and she never saw this the first time, too preoccupied with defeating Rita to notice-

“The crystal is there, the crystal is there…” Rita mutters before cackling, and Trini wants nothing more than to morph, to get her armor and strike Rita where she stands, but her heart is pounding against her chest and her whole body just fucking hurts and she can barely breathe as it is-

“You want your armor, don’t you, Yellow?” Rita says, not taking her eyes off the destruction as Trini glares at her. Rita simply smiles, cranes her neck and moans when it cracks.

“Your armor won’t come to you no matter how hard you try. Your powers are gone.” She says simply, and Trini looks at her in shock.

“W-what?” Rita laughs and nods as she looks at Trini with glee.

“Mmm…you’ve been feeling weak for a long time, haven’t you? An effect of the bond…sharing a mental link with another Ranger limits your powers. Using the link to use the teleportation device weakens them more. And I came all the way from the moon, DeeDee. Your powers are history. At least for a few hours...or unless we sever the bond, but I don’t see that happening…do you, Yellow?” She teases, and Trini doesn’t answer.

Her powers are gone.

And she can’t hold on for a few more hours, her body is on the verge of collapse with every second that passes… 

She’s completely useless.

“Your powers…they’re still there. How?” Trini asks, and Rita raises an eyebrow.

“My power is stored somewhere safe, DeeDee. Not in my body. If I’m affected, my powers are not.” She says simply, and Trini watches as she grips her staff tightly, her bright green, untainted Power Coin shining at the top of it in the sunlight. Trini reaches into her pocket, pulls out her own Power Coin, bites down on her lip to stop herself from crying when she sees it’s almost completely light green now.

A part of her knows this means something important, but Rita interrupts her thoughts with a loud cackle and a cheer as an explosion sounds in the distance. Trini turns to see a fireball erupting in the air, and she blinks back tears before looking up at Rita again.

“Why are you doing this? What did the other Rangers do to you?” Trini whispers. Rita’s smile fades, and Trini’s surprised to see anger and grief in her eyes as she looks down at Trini before scoffing.

“They’ll betray you, Trini. Just like my team did. I told them we should use the crystal to bring our race back, to make a second planet for our people to grow…but Zordon said that the natural course of things should take place…that we should leave the world to do as it was destined to do. That our only job was to protect the crystal from harm.” She shakes her head angrily, and when she looks down at Trini, her expression is eager and saddened.

“We were given the chance to bring our people back and they all refused! They all listened to Zordon as if his word was final! What person does that? Denies the chance to bring their people back?” She cries, and Trini is so shocked, she can barely even think.

“I just wanted to bring our people back…and because of that, they cast me out.” She whispers, and a tear falls down her face, and Trini swallows the lump in her throat.

“It doesn’t matter. His team paid for it greatly. I destroyed them all before they could even blink.” Rita says, her voice shaking with emotion before she looks down at Trini.

“Your team will do the same one day. One disagreement and they’ll turn their backs on you.” She says softly. Trini bares her teeth.

“My team is not your team.” She says stonily, and Rita laughs before she sniffs and wipes away her tears, lifting her head up high as she observes the destruction below her.

“It doesn’t matter either way, DeeDee. I’ll destroy this Earth that Zordon fought so hard to protect. And nothing can stop me.” She hisses, and then she looks down at Trini with a sneer.

“That’s the first time you’ve been so defiant, Yellow. I think I need to keep a better leash on you.”

“No, don’t-.”

Too late.

With a click of her fingers, the rope is around her neck again, and Trini whines as it chafes the already damaged skin on her neck, blood immediately pouring from the wounds as Rita laughs before gripping Trini’s hair and forcing her onto her hands and knees.

“My pet…” She sing songs, and Trini doesn’t have it in her to argue, doesn’t see a point…

She is her pet.

And god, that fucking kills her.

She’s the daughter of Wonder Woman, and yet she’s a slave to the woman before her. How did her life get this fucked up?

Trini closes her eyes, tries not to cry at the sounds of screaming and cries of terror before she hears Rita growl and her eyes snap open.

“Of course.” She hisses, and Trini looks where she’s looking.

She chokes on a sob as her eyes focus on the gigantic red, blue, black and pink figures in the distance.

The Zords…

“I told them to stay away!” She roars, and then she clicks her fingers and the rope disappears from Trini’s neck, but it’s only a second of reprieve before her fingers are wrapping around Trini’s throat.

“You really mean a lot to them, don’t you, DeeDee?” She growls, and Trini bites down on her lip to stop herself from replying.

She knows whatever comes out of her mouth won’t make Rita happy.

“No matter…I’ll destroy them before they even get the chance to save their precious city…and I’ll make you watch me kill them, Yellow.” She says with a sadistic grin, and Trini whimpers as Rita lets her go and raises her hands.

“PUTTIES! DESTROY THEM!” She screams, and despite the fact that she’s on a Cliff up high and a few hundred feet away from the town, the Putties all turn and look to the horizon, zeroing in on the emerging Zords before they begin charging toward them.

“Destroy the Rangers, get the Crystal, take over the world…” Rita mutters, and Trini watches her pace with wide eyes before she turns her attention to the Putties.

When they clash with the Zords, Trini can almost feel the impact as Jason grips a few in the mouth of the Zord and rips them to shreds, teeth biting down on the Putties and crumbling them to dust. Kimberly fires the gun attached to her Zord as she flies past, and when Trini sees she’s heading toward them, her heart sinks.

“No, get away…” She whispers weakly, but Kimberly is coming closer, and Rita’s eyes are narrowing as she looks at Kimberly before smirking.

“She’s not too bright, is she, DeeDee?” She laughs, and then she’s using her staff to send a wave of electromagnetic energy toward Kimberly’s Zord.

As soon as it impacts, Kimberly’s Zord begins crashing down, and Trini screams, screams so loud her voice box feels like it’s about to tear-

The Zord crashes, fire erupting on impact and she’s screaming Kimberly’s name in anguish before she sees a flash of gold-

Two figures fly up the Cliff before there’s the sound of metal clanging and Trini feels a rush of explosive air as she’s thrown back slightly, falling onto her back with a groan before it comes to a stop.

She gasps for air, looks up and behind her to see Rita groaning in pain on the ground before she looks ahead.

Diana moves her arms away from each other, the bracelets of submission shining in the sunlight as Kimberly steadies herself beside Diana, gripping the lasso of truth in her hands. 

“Trini!” Kimberly rushes toward her, but then there’s a growling sound and a pulse of energy and Kimberly’s being thrown back, her whole body almost falling off the Cliff before she digs her heels into the ground and collapses onto her hands and knees.

Trini looks back to see Rita standing, her hand around her staff as she glares at Diana. She slams her staff against the floor, and Trini feels her whole body contort as her back suddenly flares with pain, and she hears the sound of a bone cracking, knows it’s her spine-

“TRINI!” She’s screaming, screaming so loudly she can’t bear it as her body burns with fire-

Another loud cracking sound like a gunshot, another bone broken-

“STOP! PLEASE!”

“YOU TAKE ANOTHER STEP, I’LL BREAK ANOTHER BONE!” Rita roars, and Trini looks up at Diana and Kimberly breathlessly, tears falling down all of their faces.

“Kill me…” She pleads, gasping for air as she looks at Diana and Kimberly in anguish.

God, please, just let them end this, let them show her mercy…

“Kill me, please…” She gasps out, and Kimberly whimpers and Diana lets out a soft cry of pain before she grabs Kimberly’s arm to stop her from moving forward. She looks at Trini in despair before she turns her attention to Rita, and Trini can barely see from the pain exploding throughout her body, white lights in her vision-

“Enough.” Diana hisses. Rita rolls her eyes.

“Why don’t you just give up already, Wonder Girl?” She growls, gripping her staff tightly in her hands. Diana clenches her jaw.

“My daughter is a fighter. I know she is. And you can’t do this forever. There’s only one of you, and your monsters are no match for them. And once reinforcements arrive, it will all be over.” 

“And who the hell do you think you are to say my monsters aren’t capable of destroying those…those stupid imbeciles?” Rita roars, pointing toward the other Rangers in their Zords.

Diana steps forward, lowering her shield slightly as she reaches for her sword strapped behind her back.

“I am Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta, mother of the Yellow Power Ranger, and your wrath upon this world is over.” 

With a wild roar, Diana charges forward, and Trini can barely focus as Rita charges as well, both of them colliding as Kimberly watches in shock before her eyes move to Trini.

And finally, finally, she rushes over, and finally, Trini feels Kimberly’s warmth, feels it take over her body as warm her heart and her soul she wraps her arms around Trini, hooking her arms underneath Trini’s shoulders as she sags against her.

“I’ve got you, I’ve got you! Come on!” Kimberly drags her, Trini wanting nothing more than to collapse against her, to fall asleep for the rest of her life in Kimberly’s arms…

She’s so tired…

“Come on, Trini! Fight this!” Kimberly cries, and Trini wishes she could respond, but she doesn’t even have the energy to form words, to talk, just breathes in Kimberly’s scent-

“My…my powers…” She whispers.

“What?” Kimberly leans in, and Trini presses her lips to Kimberly’s ear.

“My powers…are g-gone…” She gasps out, and Kimberly’s hold on her tightens.

“It’s okay, Trini, we can do this, just stay with me-.”

“NO!” 

They both look up at the same time, both of them watching as Diana steps over Rita, her sword raised as Rita looks on at the town before her in anguish, and Trini looks out to see the Putties being destroyed by Zack, Billy and Jason, their Zords ripping them apart as a gigantic black Zord flies above them-

Wait.

“What?” Kimberly breathes, and Trini’s eyes focus for half a second before she’s laughing weakly.

“B-Bruce…B-Bruce…” She gasps out.

“What?” Kimberly whispers, and Trini grabs her.

“Batman.” She croaks out. Kimberly looks up and sees it is indeed, not a Zord at all, but the famously media dubbed ‘Batwing’ that circles alongside Billy, Zack and Jason’s Zords, firing down the Putties with ease and Kimberly can’t help but laugh.

“Billy must be crying right now.” She says breathlessly, and she grins as Trini smiles weakly and buries her head in Kimberly’s lap.

“It’s over, Rita.” Diana breathes, and Rita glares up at her furiously before Diana raises her sword-

Rita holds her hand out, and her staff flies into her grip before she’s slamming it into the ground and Diana flies back, her shield and sword falling out of her grip as her back slams into the Cliff wall above them. She lands face first, and Kimberly barely has time to stand before Rita’s suddenly right in front of her-

“You annoy me.” She growls, and then she’s grabbing Kimberly and throwing her across the Cliffside, her back also landing against the Cliff wall above them as she collapses beside Diana.

They both stir, both of them groaning in pain and Trini reaches out for them before Rita’s cold hands grab her by the arm and drag her upwards, making her stand on her feet and Trini almost collapses before Rita grips her around the neck and holds her up, and Trini looks down to see Diana’s sword in Rita’s hand.

“I’ve grown tired of this, Trini.” She hisses, and then she’s raising the sword and grinning wickedly as she looks Trini right in the face, green eyes glowing, and Trini doesn’t know why, but she knows what’s going to happen next.

“Say hello to the other Yellow Ranger for me.” She breathes, and she thrusts the sword forward.

Trini’s surprised when the impact doesn’t hurt, surprised when the sword slams forward and cuts through her body as easily as a knife going through butter, a gasp escaping her as she grips Rita’s shoulders in shock, and when Rita laughs and presses a kiss to her forehead, Trini feels whatever life she had left in her beginning to leave her body, the corners of her eyes growing dark as her body grows weaker…

She hears the sounds of people shouting her name, the voices growing faint and becoming more and more garbled before she feels something tugging, something pulling out of her body before she falls forward, and when her world turns dark before she hits the ground, the last thought that runs through her mind is that it’s over.

It’s finally over.

-

Her whole world is crashing and burning and she can’t breathe.

She can’t breathe as she watches Rita grab Trini. Can’t breathe as she watches Rita grip her sword, HER sword in her hand before using it, using it to spear her daughter through the stomach, and when blood pools her shirt within milliseconds, she loses all control.

Pain unlike anything she’s felt in over a hundred years hits her like a freight train, knocking the air out of her lungs before she hears the sound of Kimberly screaming beside her, scrambling to her feet, and she watches her daughter fall, watches her collapse to the ground with her eyes wide and staring, growing glassy by the second as the last breath of air leaves her-

She screams, and the world explodes. 

She feels the energy pouring out of her, feels the grief, the anguish erupting from her soul as she crashes forward, embraces the abyss of her emotions as she stands to her feet and runs toward her target, toward the destroyer of her universe-

Rita’s eyes widen before Diana reaches her, and she wraps an arm around Rita’s neck from behind before gripping her head in her other hand tightly and twisting.

There’s a sickening cracking sound, and Rita’s body goes limp in her arms. 

Diana doesn’t drop her.

Holds her, breathes heavily as Kimberly wails loudly behind her.

No, no, it can’t be, this can’t be, this isn’t happening-

The other three Rangers suddenly appear on the Cliffside, all of them climbing up at the same time as Bruce Wayne descends from his Batwing, dropping to the ground before looking up at Diana.

“No…NO!” Jason’s cries echo in her heart, and it isn’t long before Billy and Zack are screaming as well, all three of them running toward Diana before moving past her, and Diana closes her eyes, tightens her grip around Rita’s neck-

“Diana…” Bruce’s voice is low and hard, an effort to mask his identity as the Batman as he steps forward, the cowl over his face not masking the grief in his eyes as he extends a hand-

“Do. Not. Touch. Me.” Diana growls, and Bruce clenches his jaw before dropping his hand.

“Diana…she’s dead. You have to let her go.” He says softly. She looks at him, cranes her head, tries to understand how he can be so cruel-

“Rita, Diana. Rita, she’s…she’s dead. You’ve killed her. Let her go.” He reaffirms. Diana can’t unclench her arms, can’t relax them-

“Diana…” Kimberly’s voice is anguished, shaking in her grief and Diana closes her eyes, lets the truth settle deep inside her…

Rita’s body collapses at her feet with a thud, and Bruce watches her warily before looking at the Rangers behind her.

“Step back.” He says simply.

“What-.”

“Step back. Now.” He says again, more firmly this time. 

Diana turns.

The Rangers step away slowly, Kimberly the last to let go.

And Diana looks down at her dead daughter for the first time.

Trini’s eyes are closed now, her skin already turning pale, marked with blood from her wounds that Diana guesses Kimberly tried to slow down to no avail.

There are other marks all over her body, signs of Rita’s abuse…

“Diana…stay in control.” Bruce’s voice is incessant, annoying, like a plague that settles deep inside her and she’s reaching out and gripping his throat without even looking at him.

She hears him choking, hears the others protesting, doesn’t take her eyes off her daughter, her dead daughter-

“Don’t…don’t tell me…” She can’t get the words out, feels Bruce grip the wrist of the hand around her throat.

“Okay. Okay…” He manages to gasp out, and Diana feels her hand relax, feels her fingers loosen their grip before it falls down to her side uselessly.

She crouches down, reaches a shaking hand down and as soon as she makes contact with the skin on Trini’s arm, feels how icy cold it is, so cold…

She failed.  
She promised to protect her and she failed.

Diana curls a hand under her neck before lifting her, holding her body close as she buries her head in Trini’s hair.

And when the smell of coconut shampoo and sweat and something else that is so purely Trini, so purely her daughter, a scent that has been on her skin since she was a child hits her, Diana breaks down.

She can feel the rocks on the ground trembling, the small pebbles bouncing up and down as she wails and holds Trini’s body close to hers, cries as she silently begs for death, for her immortality to end, for her life to end alongside her daughter’s-

This is pain she never thought she would feel again, pain she never wanted to feel again…

She pulls away, brushes her fingers through Trini’s hair as she stares at her face, pale and lifeless, expressionless, and the thought, god the thought that she will never see that brow furrow in confusion or anger again, that she’ll never see her daughter’s smile, never feel the light that settles deep in her heart at the sight again-

“Z-Zordon-he c-can bring h-her back-.” Kimberly gasps out, her chest heaving before Jason suddenly wraps his arms around her, sobs escaping him as he shakes his head.

“Not anymore, K-Kim.” He manages to get out, and Diana watches as Kimberly’s armor melts away, her emotions too strong for her to keep a hold on it before Jason’s disappears as well, followed by Billy and Zack, all of them crying so hard, so deeply-

Hippolyta’s last words to her reverberate in her mind, and Diana whimpers before leaning down and pressing a kiss to Trini’s forehead, her tears splashing onto Trini’s face as she closes her eyes and allows the memories of her life with Trini to flood her.

“You have been my greatest love…today you are my greatest sorrow.” She whispers against Trini’s skin. 

They’re all silent, all of them wallowing in their grief before Diana sees Billy bend down beside Rita’s body, and she can’t look back, can’t see the destroyer of her universe-

“Guys…” Billy whispers. Diana turns her head, watches Billy lift Rita’s staff from the ground before he pulls the green coin from it, and it shines brightly before the green color is zapped from it completely, turning clear as the coin suddenly stops shining and dies. 

Diana sees a light in Trini’s pocket, and Diana reaches in and pulls out the coin resting inside it. Billy takes it from her fingers gently, looks up at the other Rangers, and holds the coin up to the sunlight.

And they all watch as the Coin, almost a light green color, suddenly begins to change, Billy wincing as it burns in his hands and shines brightly, the green color fading right before their eyes as the Yellow shines through, obliterating the green as if the sun is bringing it to life-

“Diana…” Bruce grips her shoulder. She swallows back her tears and looks up at him, and at the look on his face, she blinks away the grief and frowns.

“W-What is it?” She croaks, and Bruce looks down at the device in his hands.

The device in his hands that’s directed at Trini.

“I’m…” He trails off, and he’s bending down and removing the leather glove from his hand before he touches two fingers to Trini’s neck. 

He lets out a long sigh, his head sagging before he looks up at Diana in disbelief.

“She…this is impossible-.”

“What?” Diana demands, and Bruce shakes his head.

“There wasn’t a pulse just a minute ago-.”

“Guys!” Zack yells, and Diana looks up at him to see him pointing at Trini’s knee, where there’s an obvious gash that’s so deep, Trini’s bone is almost sticking out-

But the muscle is healing over it, the knee sliding back into place before it suddenly stops, and Diana looks up at the other Rangers.

“What’s happening?” She croaks out, and Kimberly’s eyes widen.

“Her…her powers…they’re coming back.” She whispers. 

“What?” Jason says, looking at her with wide eyes.

“She-She told me that her powers were g-gone, but-.”

“They’re coming back…the Ranger healing…” Jason breathes, and Diana watches as they exchange looks of shock.

“What does that mean?!” She cries out.

“She’s healing! I, we…part of our powers is that we heal fast, faster than most humans but-.”

“It takes time, even with small wounds, and Trini-.” Billy starts.

He’s interrupted by the sound of a soft gasp, and Diana feels gentle movement in her arms.

She blinks down, tears welling in her eyes and she can’t move, her whole body going into a state of shock and she swears she sees Trini’s eyes move underneath her eyelids, and then her fingers are twitching-

“She’s moving. She-she’s moving, she’s…how…her powers-.” Jason stutters.

“It doesn’t matter how, we’ve gotta help her!” Kimberly screams, and she jumps forward before Bruce extends his hand to stop her.

“Will adrenaline give her powers a boost?” He asks.

“I-what?” Zack says, and Bruce glares up at them.

“Adrenaline! Will it give your powers a boost or not?” He shouts, and they all exchange looks.

“I…we don’t know-.”

“We’re about to find out.” Bruce murmurs.

“What-?” But Bruce doesn’t answer, reaches for his utility belt and grabs a needle, and before Diana can protest, he stabs it into Trini’s chest, right into her heart and squeezes whatever is inside the needle down-

Trini gasps loudly, sitting up wildly as Diana jumps back and lets her go, and Trini grips the needle in her heart and pulls it out, wincing in pain before looking around her, taking in her surroundings as she gasps for air.

“Whoa…” She chokes out.

Everyone is silent, unsure of what’s going on, what’s happening when Trini looks down at her blood stained shirt before lifting it up.

Her wound is still there, but it’s no longer a gaping hole that tears through her body, but a deep gash that still oozes blood from her the front where the sword entered her, and the back where the sword exited her, and she winces before looking up at Diana, her face pale and covered in sweat.

“I think…I need stitches.” She breathes.

Diana chokes on a sob.

Reaches out and touches her cheek, feels the warmth beneath the clammy sweat matting her skin-

She’s alive.

Her daughter is alive…

“You…I…” Diana can’t form words, and Trini nods once.

“I know, but I’m still bleeding and we kinda need to stop that, so maybe we can do all the crazy ‘she’s alive’ celebrating later?” 

-

Kimberly is silent as she paces the living room of Diana and Trini’s home.

The others are watching her from the couch, all of them desperately waiting for news.

Diana had carried Trini in her arms and had run them back to the house without hesitation as soon as they all noticed that Trini’s wounds hadn’t completely healed, and Bruce had followed her in the Batwing before Jason had told them they needed to get their Zords back to the Pit.

Kimberly had instead run straight to Diana’s house, shouting at the others to get her broken Zord back to the Pit for her.

Kimberly had burst through the front door to find Bruce in the living room, his cowl off before he had stopped in his tracks and looked up at Kimberly in shock.

“Uh-.”

“I knew you were Batman already, don’t worry. How is she?” Kimberly had asked with worry, and he had sighed and told her that Diana was stitching her wounds as they spoke.

Then he told Kimberly about the giant gash on her forehead that also needed stitches, and that’s how Kimberly Hart was talked into receiving stitches to her face from Bruce Wayne.

She reaches up and itches the wound, hissing when she touches the stitches.

All in all, he hadn’t done a bad job. Kimberly should’ve known he’d be good at it, god knows how many stitches he’d done of his own…

The look on Billy, Zack and Jason’s faces when they had come into the house half an hour after Kimberly to see Bruce Wayne in Batman’s outfit had been priceless, a small glimmer of humor in an otherwise tragic and grief-stricken day.

Billy had covered his mouth and screamed into it, the noise muffled slightly, Zack had raised an eyebrow before scoffing in disbelief, and Jason, as always, had been taken aback before walking forward and holding his hand out for Bruce to shake.

Bruce had looked between all of them before smirking.

“So the Power Rangers are a bunch of kids, huh?” He had said, before Zack had grinned.

“So Bruce Wayne is Batman, huh?” He retorted, and Bruce’s jaw clenched as he gave him a lopsided smile.

“I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine.”

“Deal.” 

Bruce had tended to the injuries of the boys as well, Jason telling Kimberly that he had taken Rita’s body back to the ship to Zordon, who had simply thanked him and asked them all to leave. Kimberly doesn’t have it in her to care for the moment, and Jason says neither does he.

Kimberly had watched as Bruce looked at Zack and Billy goofing around with a fond expression on his face for half a second before it turned back into his usual hard glare, and Kimberly knew there was a story there, but found she didn’t want to know.

She’s had enough tragedy for one day.

Finally, after almost an hour and a half, Diana suddenly descends the stairs, looking incredibly worn out and tired, her hands covered in blood as she reaches up with a shaking hand to remove the band from her forehead, her hair falling over her face as she looks at the others with a sigh.

“She’s okay. Exhausted, but…okay. I don’t even know how many stitches I had to do…” She trails off, and Bruce sighs.

“I told you to let me do it, Diana.”

“She’s my daughter.” Diana says simply, and Kimberly bites down on her lip before Diana looks at her with a weak smile.

“Are you all okay?” She asks softly. Zack scoffs.

“Define ‘okay’.” He says gruffly, and Jason sighs.

“We’re okay, we’re just worried about Trini.” He murmurs, and Diana nods once.

“Go and see her. Maybe one at a time though…I don’t want her to be overwhelmed right now.” 

“Zack, go first. You need to get home to your mom.” Kimberly croaks out, and he frowns before nodding once and jumping up, ascending the stairs two at a time. 

“Knock, knock.” He sing songs as soon as he enters her room, and when he walks in to see Trini in her bed, covered in blankets and drinking water from a straw in a bottle, Zack’s heart melts.

“Hey…” She croaks out, and Zack smiles and walks forward, leaning down to press a kiss to her clammy forehead before he sits down beside her.

“Hey, you.” He whispers. Trini reaches up, her thumb brushing across the cuts on his face and he grips her hand and presses a kiss to her palm.

“You had us scared, Trini.” He says softly. She smiles weakly.

“I know. I’m sorry.” 

“Nah, not your fault. I’m just glad you’re okay. I don’t think we can survive without you, Trini.” He murmurs, and she chuckles, winces in pain before reaching up and ruffling his hair.

“You got along just fine before me.”

“Yeah, but my life got so much better when you and the others came into it. So don’t go leaving me now.” Zack teases, but there’s a tone of sincerity that has Trini nodding, gripping his hands in her own and squeezing them.

“I promise.” She whispers. He smiles again, sighs before shaking his head and standing.

“I gotta go. My mom-.”

“Of course. Go. I’ll be okay. You better text me, I’m gonna get bored with all this bed resting.” She pouts, and Zack chuckles and leans in to press another kiss to her forehead.

“I promise, don’t worry.” 

He squeezes her hands before he lets her go, and he walks to the door, letting out a deep breath before he exits the room and descends the stairs.

“How is she?” Jason asks, and Zack smiles.

“Good. Go see for yourself.” He says, and Jason hesitates before Billy suddenly climbs the stairs, and Zack grips his shoulder as he passes him, Billy nodding grimly.

As soon as Billy reaches the door, he knocks before entering, and when he sees Trini, he feels his heart pound against his chest. 

“So, Bruce Wayne is Batman.” He blurts out. Trini looks up at the sound of his voice, and she smiles widely as he steps closer to her.

“I know.” She says with a chuckle, wincing in pain, and Billy sits down beside her, twisting his fingers in his hands as he shakes his head.

“His Batwing is super cool.” He murmurs, and Trini raises an eyebrow.

“Cooler than me coming back from the dead?” She asks, and Billy winces, but shakes his head.

“Nah. I think you and I take the cake for coolest of the cool on that one.” He says with a smile, and Trini grips his hand, smiling softly.

“I’m okay, Billy.” She whispers.

“I know.” He says, closes his eyes as he tries his best to repeat her words back to himself.

She’s okay. She’s okay. She’s okay…

“I’m…I’m really happy you’re okay. I don’t think we could survive losing one of our own. I know I couldn’t survive it.” He says, and Trini sighs and squeezes his hand.

“Neither would I.” She says hoarsely, and Billy watches as she squirms, wincing in pain at the movement before he jumps up and shakes his head.

“I’ll leave, you gotta rest, and the others wanna see you, too.” He says, and Trini’s face falls before she nods.

“Oh, o-okay.” Billy smiles, and Trini smiles back before she beckons him forward with a finger.

He bends down, and Trini leans up and presses a kiss to his cheek.

“Love you, Billy.” She whispers, and he smiles, leans in and presses a kiss to her cheek.

“Love you, too, Trini.” He leaves the room, his smile never leaving his face and as soon as he appears at the top of the stairs, Jason runs up them, giving Billy a warm smile before he enters Trini’s room with a soft knock on the door.

She smiles as he walks in, and Jason’s entire world stops and he can feel his heart pounding against his chest.

He nearly lost a Ranger today…again…

“I’m starting to think I’m not cut out to be the Red Ranger.” He whispers. Trini’s smile fades, replaced with a frown as Jason crouches down onto his knees beside her.

“Why?” She asks, running her fingers through his hair, and Jason suddenly flashes back to the time he slept in Trini’s bed that night he almost hit his father, her hands gentle in his hair as she held his crying body in her arms…

He almost lost her today. Trini, his Trini, the girl who was like a sister to him…

“I keep leading you guys to your deaths.” He chokes out, and Trini shakes her head, cooing softly as Jason rests his head on her shoulder, his sobs escaping him before he can stop them.

“No, no, shh…Rita had control over me for weeks, Jason…you can’t blame yourself for this, it wasn’t you. Shh, Jason…” 

“I’m sorry, Trin. I’m so sorry.” He cries, and Trini wraps an arm around him, pressing a kiss to his hair as he grips her hand tightly.

“God, I almost lost you today.” He whispers. Trini smiles.

“You didn’t. That’s what matters.” She says softly. He sniffs, wipes his tears away before he leans up and presses a kiss to her forehead, inches away from where Zack’s lips touched her.

“Kimberly’s probably itching to get up here.” He murmurs. Trini smiles.

“She said she loves me.” She whispers, and Jason smiles against her skin before pulling away.

“Did you say it back?” And Trini smiles widely.

“Yeah.” Jason chuckles, wipes his tears away with his hand before nodding once.

“You two are good for each other.” 

“We’re all good for each other. Together…”

“We are more.” Jason finishes, and Trini smiles.

“We are.” She says, and Jason chuckles.

“I never really understood that until now. We were one Ranger short on the field and I felt like we were about to collapse. But apparently we did really well. Bruce said we did good.” Trini laughs, coughing and wincing as she does.

“So weird to hear you guys call him by his first name.”

“I still can’t believe Bruce Wayne is Batman.” Trini rolls her eyes, and Jason chuckles before he squeezes her hand and lets go.

“I’ll send Kim up, but after that, you get some rest, okay?” He says, and Trini chuckles under her breath.

“Aye, aye, captain.” She teases, and he rolls his eyes before walking toward the door.

He’s barely out of the room before Kimberly’s at the top of the stairs, and Jason steps aside as Kimberly enters.

She whimpers at the sight of Trini, a soft whine that escapes her as Trini looks up at her.

And Trini’s bottom lip trembles as Kimberly walks over to her without hesitation and sits down beside her, gripping her hand tightly as tears leak from the corners of her eyes and fall into her hair.

“I’m-I’m sorry for how things ended last night-.”

“No. That was Rita, Trini. Don’t you dare apologize for what she did.” Kimberly says simply. Trini swallows the lump in her throat and nods, and Kimberly smiles and lean in, pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“How are you feeling?” She asks, and Trini shakes her head.

“I don’t want to think about it.” She says, and Kimberly nods once.

“Neither do I.” 

“We have to talk. But I’m so tired…” Trini whispers, and Kimberly smiles, presses another kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“We have tomorrow…and the day after, and the day after…” She whispers shakily, and Trini turns to look at her as tears fall down her face.

“And I’m so thankful for that.” She says hoarsely, and Trini bites down on her bottom lip.

“So am I.” She whispers. 

Kimberly doesn’t go back downstairs, simply runs her blood stained fingers through Trini’s hair as they fall silent, and it isn’t long before the fatigue finally gets to her and she falls asleep, curled up against Trini’s side with her head resting on Trini’s shoulder.

And Trini grips her hand, interlaces their fingers before she looks up at the ceiling and tries her best to fall asleep.

But an hour passes, and sleep doesn’t come, and when there’s a soft knock at her door, she looks up to see Diana walk in, Bruce trailing behind her, both of them still in their superhero outfits, and Trini takes a moment to appreciate that Batman and Wonder Woman are in her room right now as a small smile lights Diana’s face as she looks at Kimberly fast asleep beside her.

"The boys went home...I told them to go shower and get a good night's sleep." Diana says softly, and Trini nods as Bruce sighs and steps forward.

“I gotta head back to Gotham, but…I’m glad you’re okay, Trini.” Bruce says in a soft voice, and Trini smiles up at him. 

“You saved my life.” She says, and Bruce smiles, leans down to run his hands through her hair.

“All in a day’s work, kid. Stay safe, alright? I don’t wanna hear you’ve given your mother another heart attack. This Power Rangers business seems…dangerous.”

“It is.” Trini sighs, and Bruce frowns before he pulls away and touches Diana’s shoulder.

“I’ll talk to you later.” She frowns, clenching her jaw as she nods once, and Bruce heads out of her room, but Diana stays, her arms crossed over her chest before she sighs and lays down on Trini’s other side, wrapping her arms around both Trini and Kimberly gently.

"None of us have showered, we're covered in blood and grime and sweat." Trini mutters, and Diana shakes her head.

"I'll clean everything tomorrow. I'm not moving and neither are you." She says gruffly. Trini simply nods once.

They’re silent for a while before Diana speaks up.

“I’m sorry.” She says hoarsely.

“For what?” Trini asks.

“For not noticing it before, for not listening to you when you told me you were seeing Rita everywhere-.”

“I should’ve told you the truth. But I was so scared of what she could do. I’m the one who’s sorry.” Trini says softly, and Diana shakes her head and pushes herself closer to Trini, being careful to avoid the wounds on her stomach and back.

“We both screwed up.” She whispers. Trini nods as Diana rests her forehead against the side of Trini’s head, nuzzling her mother as she grips her arm tightly.

“Yeah…I’m sorry for almost dying.”

“Don’t.” Diana murmurs, and Trini sighs.

“We have to talk about it eventually. We all do. The boys aren’t okay either, Kimberly’s a mess, and you-.”

“I know. But right now, we need to rest. To heal. And I just want to sleep knowing you’re safe beside me.” Diana says simply, and Trini nods against her.

“Okay.” She says. It’s silent again for a few moments before Diana sighs.

“Your Ranger healing…why did it kick in so late?” She asks. Trini closes her eyes tiredly.

“I was linked to Rita, mentally. When she used the link to get herself off the moon and back to Earth, it cost me my powers. But as soon as that link was severed, I got my powers back.” Trini says, avoiding the conversation they had while Diana patched her up…about how Diana had snapped Rita’s neck…had killed her in cold blood…

“The green faded from your power coin when Rita died…was that the link severing?” She asks, and Trini shrugs.

“Probably. I’d say so.” Diana sighs. 

“I love that you’re a Power Ranger, sometimes.” And Trini laughs, coughs and winces as she lets out a soft groan of pain.

“I love that you’re Wonder Woman, sometimes.” She teases, and Diana chuckles in her ear, presses a kiss to her hair before Trini sighs.

“What happened to her body? Rita’s?” Trini asks. Diana sighs again.

“Jason told me he took her back to the ship.” She says simply, and Trini nods once.

“Good.”

“Good?” Trini sighs.

“Another thing to explain at another time.”

“Mmm…for now, we rest?” And Trini groans and nods, squeezing Kimberly’s hand and nuzzling into her mother’s side.

“Yes, please.”


	8. everybody told me love was blind, then I saw your face and you blew my mind (finally, you and me are the lucky ones this time)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Lucky Ones" by Lana Del Rey. 
> 
> this is like the longest chapter i think and it literally is just domestic af i'm sorry y'all  
> also i apologise for the slow-ish updates, i kinda got crash bandicoot over the weekend and i can't stop playing it, dem childhood nostalgia feels  
> also i'm thinking of setting up a tumblr, i've avoided it for years, but i would love to get some prompts from you guys, i'm not gonna lie, my idea machine is running out!  
> so what are your thoughts? should i or shouldn't i? =D  
> anyway, i hope you guys enjoy the chapter, comments are appreciated!

She turns her Power Coin over in her hands, once, twice, observes the rich Yellow color, can’t quite believe that just twenty-four hours ago, it was light green, shrouded in a dark energy that was everything Rita represented.

Trini’s breathing is labored and slow, her body aching with each intake of breath as she touches the ridges of the coin with a small sigh.

She died yesterday. 

There’s no walking around it, no loopholes or different ways of saying it.

She died.

Trini doesn’t remember anything, only falling to the ground and waking up lying down on it, her whole body feeling…different.

Foreign.

She still doesn’t feel like herself, still feels like she’s somehow taken over a new body, despite the fact that the scars on her body are still the same, despite the fact that when she reaches up and touches her neck, the three scars from Rita’s attack bump their way into her skin.

This is her body.

The body she died in.

Maybe it’s her soul that’s different, maybe her heart or her head…

Trini isn’t sure, can’t quite explain it, isn’t sure she wants to.

All she knows is Rita is dead, and her nightmare is over.

She feels Kimberly shift beside her, and Trini winces as she turns over onto her side. Her back still hurts painfully from Rita breaking her spine, despite the Ranger healing fixing it within minutes, and Trini thinks it still hasn’t fully healed, may never fully heal, and a soft cry escapes her lips as Diana’s arm around her waist tightens slightly. She looks back, sees her mother still fast asleep before she looks back at Kimberly.

She blinks slowly, a soft yawn escaping her before she looks up and sees Trini staring at her.

“Hey…” Trini croaks out. Kimberly doesn’t say anything, and when she raises her hand to touch Trini’s cheek, Trini can see her blood is still stained on Kimberly’s fingers, contrasting heavily with the black polish on her nails as she runs her fingers over Trini’s cheekbone softly.

“Did you sleep?” She whispers. Trini nods once.

“A few hours. Just in a lot of pain. Did you?” She asks quietly. Kimberly frowns, nods once before tucking Trini’s hair behind her ear.

“Do you want me to get you some pain meds?” She asks, and Trini shakes her head.

“I can take it.”

“You shouldn’t have to.” Kimberly sighs, and Trini bites down on her lip before wrapping her fingers around Kimberly’s wrist and tugging her forward slightly.

Kimberly gets the message, moves closer and wraps her arms around Trini, placing her arms over Diana’s as Trini nuzzles into her neck, pressing a soft kiss to her pulse, feeling it thrum against her lips wildly as she runs her fingers through Trini’s hair.

“I don’t…I don’t have words for how I feel right now.” Kimberly whispers. Trini nods against her.

“Neither do I.” She whispers back. Kimberly chokes on a sob, holds her closer, and Trini ignores the pain and lets her, her fingers moving under Kimberly’s shirt and drawing gentle circles on the warm skin of her lower back.

“I lost you. You died and you were gone and I lost you…and I couldn’t breathe-.”

“Shh…” Trini rakes her nails down Kimberly’s back, presses a harder kiss to her throat as Kimberly whines and buries her face into Trini’s hair, breathing in deeply. 

They’re silent for a long time, both of them simply embracing each other before Kimberly sniffs and kisses her hair before mumbling into it.

“Trini, I love you. I know that maybe…that maybe Rita was already in control, or that maybe she was forcing you to say it back to me the other night, but I meant it, okay? I meant-.”

“Wait, slow down. What?” Trini pulls back, looking at her with a frown as Kimberly bites down on her lower lip, tears falling down her face.

“You don’t remember?” She croaks out.

“No, I mean-yes, I do remember, but…why do you think Rita made me say it?” 

“I don’t know, to get you to co-operate, or get me to co-operate, I just…you don’t have to say it back, I just want you to know that I meant it-.” Trini presses a finger to her lips to silence her before she reaches behind her for Diana’s waist.

As soon as her fingers close around the rope, she tugs on it slightly, pulling it in front of her carefully to she doesn’t hurt her injuries and Kimberly looks down as Trini holds the rope up to their faces, the golden light emanating from it and lighting both their faces up as Trini smiles at the feeling of euphoria that runs through her when the rope touches her skin.

“The lasso of Hestia. Compels anyone who touches it to tell the truth. So you know I’m not lying when I say that…Kimberly Hart, I love you.” Trini says softly, and Kimberly’s lip trembles before she’s interlacing her fingers with Trini around the rope, a soft gasp escaping her as she feels the effects of the rope as well.

“I love you, too.” She says simply, and Trini smiles before leaning in and kissing her, lips gentle against Kimberly’s as she whines and pushes herself closer to Trini to deepen the kiss.

When Trini pulls away, Kimberly rests her forehead against hers and simply runs her fingers through her hair before they both freeze when Diana stirs behind Trini.

“Who’s playing around with my lasso?” She says hoarsely, and Trini turns slowly as Diana rubs the sleep from her eyes and yawns. 

“Had to prove something to Kimberly. Sorry.” She says softly, and Diana blinks sleepily at her before she smiles. 

“You’re here.” She whispers.

“Where else would I be?” Trini asks in confusion, and Diana simply shakes her head, leans in and wraps her arms around her daughter before pressing a kiss to her hair. 

And Trini understands what she means suddenly, and she sighs and buries her head in Diana’s chest as Diana reaches her arm and pulls Kimberly into her embrace as well.

“I love you.” She whispers into Trini’s hair. And Trini looks up to see Diana’s eyes move past Trini to Kimberly, feels her reach up and touch Kimberly’s cheek gently.

“Both of you.” She says, and Trini hears Kimberly sob before she grabs Diana’s hand and squeezes it.

They all stay in each other’s embrace for a while before a phone rings loudly, and Kimberly grumbles and reaches into her pocket, pulling herself away from Trini and Diana as she answers it.

“My mom…” She sighs, and she’s answering it and standing, walking to the door and exiting the room as Diana suddenly sits up before swinging her legs over the bed and standing.

“We need to get you cleaned up.” She says to Trini, who nods once.

“We all do.” She frowns. Diana sighs.

“Yes, but Kimberly and I aren’t severely injured. You are. Come on, I’ll help you shower while Kimberly takes the phone call.”

“She can help too, it’s not like she hasn’t seen it all before.” Trini says with a dismissive wave of her hand.

And then she freezes.

And so does Diana.

Her eyes widen, and Trini looks down to see her damn hand is still wrapped around the lasso of truth.

She drops it as if it’s infectious, groaning as she claps a hand over her mouth and whines against it.

“You didn’t hear that!” She muffles out. Diana winces and closes her eyes, breathing deeply as she shakes her head.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t.” Trini grins sheepishly, and Diana sighs before brushing her hair back from her face.

“After yesterday…life is so short. I want you to be happy. That’s all I could ever want.” She mumbles, and Trini bites down on her lip with hesitation before she speaks her mind.

“I’m waiting for it, you know?”

“For what?”

“Your breakdown. Kimberly’s too.” Diana’s lip trembles, but she lifts her head high and shakes her head.

“You need me.” She says simply, and Trini sighs as she throws the covers off herself gently, and Diana reaches a hand out to help her up.

Getting up is hard, even swinging her legs over the side of the bed takes a lot of effort, and Trini knows if she wasn’t a Power Ranger, she’d be paralyzed for sure. 

The thought sends chills up her spine, and she looks up at Diana before grabbing her hands as Diana lifts her up off the bed slowly.

They wall into the hallway, Trini wincing as each step causes pain, her legs trembling beneath her body, and as soon as enter the hallway, they see Kimberly end her phone call, an angry expression on her face that melts away as soon as Diana and Trini come into view.

“She needs a shower. The blood…” Diana says, trailing off as she swallows the lump in her throat, and Kimberly winces and nods once.

“I can help.” Trini hesitates, but when Diana doesn’t say anything, simply lets Kimberly take her other shoulder, they both walk her to the bathroom.

“Fill the tub up, please.” Diana says softly to Kimberly.

“Hot water only, please.” Trini says hoarsely, and Kimberly nods once, turns the hot water tap on full blast and shoves a plug into the drain. 

Diana is gentle as she helps Trini shrug her arms out of the sleeves of her shirt, wincing when it causes movement against her stitches, and as soon as her arms are clear, Diana lifts her shirt up and over her head.

“Deep breaths.” Diana says, and then she’s gently peeling back the bandages from her wounds, Trini biting down on her lip as tears well in her eyes from the pain.

Diana’s fingers brush over the over small scars littered on Trini’s back, and she scoffs angrily.

“You know, that Zordon…making you train every day like this, not caring about your injuries…he’s not a good man.” She says with bared teeth.

And Trini finds herself nodding.

“He has a lot to answer for.” She agrees, and if Kimberly is confused by her words, she doesn’t say so, simply pours body wash into the water and watches as the bubbles fill up the tub.

As soon as Trini’s completely stripped free of her clothes, Diana helps her move toward the tub, and Kimberly takes her hand and helps her sit down in it.

The second her skin makes contact with the water, it turns red, dyed with the dried blood on her body within moments as Trini hugs her knees, adjusting herself so she doesn’t hurt her wounds or her back, which is still throbbing painfully as Kimberly grabs a small bucket and fills it with water before touching her shoulder.

“Ready?” She asks softly. Trini nods once, and Kimberly pours the water over her head.

And Trini thought that the heat of it would help, that maybe it wouldn’t remind her of Rita, but she can suddenly feel her cold fingers gripping her neck, and she squeezes her eyes shut and hugs herself tighter, willing the memories out of her mind as she shivers. 

Diana and Kimberly don’t seem to mind the heat as Kimberly washes the blood from her face and hair, the blood staining her hands also disappearing, and Trini watches the tears fall down her face as she bites her lip in an attempt to stop herself from crying.

Trini grips her hand, presses a kiss to the back of her palm.

“I’m here. I’m not dead.” She whispers. Kimberly lets out a shaky breath, nods once and squeezes water out of her hair. 

Diana is gentle with the stitches as she washes her back, and when Trini hisses in pain, her whole body stills as she looks at Trini apologetically.

Diana has Trini’s blood on her body as well, and Trini wipes a mark that’s stuck to Diana’s bicep off, using the water dripping from her hands to rub it off as Diana swallows the lump in her throat and places her hand over Trini’s hand on her bicep.

And Trini knows Diana is not okay, that Diana is hiding her pain, masking her emotions, her fear, her anxiety in order to stay strong for both her and Kimberly.

She wishes she could tell her that it’s okay to break down, that she’s got her back, but the words can’t form, don’t escape her as Kimberly and Diana wash her body from yesterday’s trauma.

Wash the death from her vigorously, as if trying to convince themselves that they’re not washing a dead body. 

And in any other situation, Trini would be embarrassed to be naked in front of her girlfriend and her mother at the same time, but the blood stained water and bubbles are pretty much covering her body from sight, and truthfully, she can’t find it in her to care either way.

She died yesterday.

She died, and Kimberly and Diana aren’t coping, even if she did magically come back.

As soon as they’ve washed off every ounce of blood from her skin, Diana grabs a towel and opens it out, waiting patiently, and Trini smiles, suddenly flashes back to the all the times Diana would wash her in the tub as a kid and hold the towel out as Trini jumped into her arms, both of them laughing, and she wrapped her up in the towel tightly, and she sees the smile form on Diana’s lips, knows the same memories are running through her mind when tears well in her eyes.

But there is no happy jumping, no laughing this time around.

Trini winces as she pushes herself up, her back flaring with pain and her knees buckling, and she grabs Kimberly’s hand for support as she stands on shaking legs, and Diana wraps the towel around her, doesn’t lift her in fear of hurting her, just helps her step one leg over and out of the tub, and the other, slowly, gently…

Kimberly grabs another towel, gently runs it through her hair as Diana helps Trini put on her bra and fresh underwear before she puts new bandages over her stitches. 

“I’m surprised your Ranger healing isn’t fixing it.” She says with a frown, and Trini sighs.

“It’ll take a few more hours, I think. Most cuts do. My back still hurts a lot, though, I can barely walk…” She says simply, and Diana bares her teeth at the memory, the sound of Trini’s back breaking echoing in her mind before she clenches her jaw and nods once, holds a shirt in her hands before putting it over Trini’s head and helping her into it. Kimberly grabs pajama shorts and holds them open at her feet, and when Trini places her feet inside the holes, using Kimberly’s shoulder for support, she slides it up, her thumbs brushing against Trini’s thighs and making her shudder before she pulls them up to rest on her hips and stands. 

It takes two women, a Power Ranger and Wonder Woman to help Trini take a bath and dress herself.

Part of her feels like shit. The other part of her feels thankful.

“Trinity?” Diana says softly, and Trini licks her lips before she simply moves forward into her mother’s arms and doesn’t let her go. Diana sighs and hands Kimberly a fresh towel.

“I have clothes in my wardrobe, but they might be a bit big for you. You’re welcome to look when you’re done.” She tells her, and Kimberly nods once before Diana runs her fingers through Trini’s damp hair.

“Ready?” She asks. Trini nods once, and Diana lifts Trini into her arms carefully, one arm hooking under her knees and the other wrapping around her shoulders before she carries her out of the bathroom and heads to the stairs.

Each step down causes Trini’s back to ache, but she bares her teeth and says nothing, simply presses her cheek against Diana’s collarbone as she carefully descends slowly, and as soon as she reaches the bottom, she walks straight into the living room and settles into the couch, holding Trini in her arms and rocking back and forth as Trini plays with her hair. She’s completely aware that her mother is still covered in grime and blood, her armor still covering her body, but she can’t find it in her to care, just feels the warmth and love emanating from her mother as she presses kiss after kiss to Trini’s hair. 

But when the moments pass and the silence grows too long, Trini knows she needs to say it. Knows she needs to talk about this with her, needs to acknowledge what they’ve both been avoiding.

“Mom?” Diana doesn’t respond, and Trini sighs.

“I died yesterday.” She says softly. Diana whimpers, nods against her.

“You did.” She whispers back. Trini wants to say more, but before she can, Diana is suddenly shifting beneath her, and she sits Trini down on the couch gently and stands, walking toward the coffee table in the corner of the room, and Trini sees her shield and her sword are resting on top of it.

Diana reaches for her shield before Trini sees her back tense up, and then she’s reaching down and grabbing her sword.

And when she turns, Trini feels her heart pound and a strange, ice cold feeling run up her spine.

Trini’s blood is stained on the metal, dark red and shining in the light, and Trini feels bile rise in the back of throat.

Rita killed her…

Diana averts her gaze from the sword, the expression on her face unreadable, and she doesn’t look at Trini as she walks past her.

“I have to clean it.” She says, and then she’s walking into the kitchen and out of Trini’s sight.

And Trini stays on the couch for a few minutes, unsure of what to do or even think when the sound of soft crying echoes from the kitchen and reaches her.

And Trini pushes herself up, hissing in pain and gripping the couch before rushing toward the kitchen as fast as her injuries will take her.

The sight before her is…heartbreaking.

Diana is removing the blood from her sword with a clean cloth, her whole body shaking as tears fall down her face, and Trini watches as she clenches her jaw before she’s suddenly throwing the sword across the room with a scream, clutching her hair and collapsing to her knees as the sword imbeds itself into the wall beside the dining table.

Trini stumbles, grabs the wall for help before gripping the island in the middle of the kitchen to pull herself closer to Diana as each step makes her legs shake even more, and finally, when she reaches her, she bends down and wraps her arms around Diana’s neck from behind and buries her head into Diana’s hair. Diana grips her wrists and holds them, crying louder than Trini’s ever heard her cry before, and it doesn’t hit Trini that her mother is having a panic attack until Diana starts gasping for air, her whole body heaving as her grip on Trini tightens.

And she’s so shocked, so used to her mother being the embodiment of strong and fierce, a warrior to be feared across any land, that she’s frozen in shock for about thirty seconds before she’s standing, hissing in pain and dragging Diana with her before she’s moving her arms down to wrap around Diana’s waist, Diana’s hands gripping her own as Trini whispers in her ear for her to breathe.

“Mom, you’ve gotta breathe, come on, in and out…I’m right here, I’m okay, see? You can feel me, right? I’m alive, I’m here, breathe…shh…” 

Diana shakes her head, gulps down air with a gasp as Trini begs her to just calm down, to breathe, to be okay…

“Mom, look. Look…”

“I-can’t-.” She chokes out, and Trini shakes her head before letting Diana go and simply grabbing her hand, pulling it back behind her body and resting her palm against her chest.

“Then feel. Feel my heartbeat, mom, it’s strong. It’s strong because I’m alive, I’m here. Just feel it, please…” 

Diana’s shaking, still not looking at her, and Trini presses her palm against her neck instead, resting her index and middle finger against her neck where her pulse point is.

“Do you feel that?” Trini whispers. And Diana suddenly presses down on her pulse point with her fingers gently, her shoulders relaxing slowly before she lets out a shaky breath and breathes in deeply, and Trini can’t see her face, her back turned to Trini and her hair covering her face from view, but she can see Diana’s body beginning to calm down, the shaking no longer so violent, so out of her control…

She breathes, still presses her fingers against Trini’s pulse before she slides her hand down and out of Trini’s grasp, sniffing as she looks up at the ceiling. Trini moves forward, hugs her from behind and presses her forehead against the skin between Diana’s shoulder blades.

“I’m okay, mom.” She whispers. Diana shakes her head, turns in her arms and wraps her arms around Trini’s body as she cries, and Trini can’t help herself, tears falling down her face as they both share each other’s grief in an attempt to alleviate the pain. 

“I can’t lose you like that again, little one, I can’t.” Diana whispers hoarsely. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Trini chokes out, and Diana shakes her head.

“I can’t lose you…” She repeats, and Trini squeezes her before she looks up at her, shaking her head as she does.

“You won’t. She’s dead now, she won’t come back.” She says, and Diana bites down on her lip before running her fingers through Trini’s hair and cradling her face in her hands.

“I love you so much. I need you to know that.” She whispers. Trini nods, smiling as her bottom lip trembles.

“I do. I love you, too. You’ve done so much for me, I can never thank you enough. You’re the best mother a daughter could ask for.” And Diana finally, finally smiles, her eyes lighting up as she leans down and presses a kiss to Trini’s forehead.

“You’re the best daughter a mother could ask for.” She says. Trini smiles, and Diana lets out a shaky breath before she rests her hands on Trini’s shoulders.

“You’re alive.” She says simply. Trini nods.

“I’m alive.” She repeats, and Diana sighs and nods, closing her eyes as she does. She hums softly, and Trini simply hugs her, resting her head against Diana’s chest as Diana rests her chin on top of Trini’s head.

“My little five foot tall warrior is alive.” She says, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, now I know you’re back to normal, you’re making fun of my height again.” She mutters, and when she hears Diana laugh quietly, she feels her heart expand ten times in size with euphoria. 

They stay like this for a long time before Diana pulls back and wipes her tears away before cradling Trini’s face in her hands.

“You’re okay.” She breathes. Trini nods.

“I’m okay.” She says again. Diana smiles, and then she brushes away Trini’s tears from her cheeks with her thumbs. 

“We should go on a holiday.” She says softly. Trini blinks in shock.

“A holiday?”

“Mmm…I think we’ve been through a lot the last few months. We should go somewhere nice…maybe we can bring the others with us, if their parents will allow it.” Diana says, and Trini doesn’t know why, but only one destination pops into her mind, and once it does, no other place sounds good enough for a holiday.

“Themyscira.” She says, and Diana’s eyes widen.

“What?” She whispers, and Trini nods.

“We should go back to your home. To Themyscira.” She says simply. Diana blinks, trying to process her words, but she doesn’t get a chance to say anything before Kimberly’s footsteps echo down the stairs as she enters the kitchen, and Trini looks past Diana at her to see her wearing one of Diana’s denim shorts, which fit her surprisingly well despite not being her size, and one of Trini’s oversized sweaters, a smile lighting her face as she looks at Diana and Trini wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Do you guys want me to go-?”

“No, don’t be ridiculous. I need to shower and clean the sheets in Trini’s room anyway. I’ll give you two some space. We’ll talk about what we were talking about later.” Diana says, whispering the last part in Trini’s ear before she gives her a warm smile and lets her go. She makes her way to the stairs, giving Kimberly a soft smile and a touch of her shoulder before ascending the stairs as she begins to remove the armor from her chest.

Trini’s eyes move down to Kimberly, and Kimberly doesn’t say a word, just holds her hand out for Trini to take, and Trini moves forward and interlaces their fingers as Kimberly drags her gently over to the couch. 

Trini lays down on it slowly, wincing in pain when her back relaxes down onto the cushions before she holds her hand out for Kimberly. She hesitates, biting her lip before grabbing her hand.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you.” She murmurs, and Trini smiles.

“You never could.” She whispers, and Kimberly smiles back, slowly lowers herself down on top of Trini gently and adjusts herself so she’s resting on Trini’s side instead of on top of her. Trini wraps her arms around her, running her fingers through Kimberly’s damp, short brown hair before her eyes move down to the bandage covering her forehead. She brushes her fingers over it, a frown on her face as she leans in and presses a kiss to the non-bandaged part of Kimberly’s forehead.

“Does it hurt?” She whispers. Kimberly shakes her head, and then her fingers are reaching underneath Trini’s shirt, cold fingers grazing over the bandage and causing goosebumps to erupt on Trini’s skin as she shudders and lets out a small gasp.

“Already healed. Does yours?” Kimberly asks back. Trini shrugs, and Kimberly sighs and leans closer, pressing a kiss to Trini’s collarbone.

“How’s your mom coping?” She asks hoarsely. Trini sighs.

“Not good. I think she’s gonna spend at least the next few months trying to convince herself I’m alive. Honestly, I think I’m gonna be doing the same.” Trini says, and Kimberly looks up at her.

“What do you mean?” She asks. Trini looks down at her, swallows the lump in her throat.

This is how it is with Kimberly. Trini’s never felt the need to hide from her, to keep her thoughts from surfacing. Kimberly always listens, always understands…

“I don’t know. I feel…different. Like when I died, I left this body and when I came back, I entered a different one. It’s strange.” Kimberly’s silent, simply brushing her fingers over Trini’s stomach before she presses a kiss to Trini’s throat.

“Maybe you should talk to Billy. He’s had experience with…dying.” She says gruffly, and Trini chuckles and tightens her hold on Kimberly as she nods.

“Yeah…I think I should. Maybe talking to him will help us both. I know he never really dealt with dying, he just hides it from us.” 

“He doesn’t…he just prefers talking to Jason. They’re really close.” Kimberly says. Trini nods, clenches her jaw and closes her eyes as fatigue starts to settle into her body again.

“Are you falling asleep?” Kimberly whispers against the skin of her throat, and Trini whines.

“No.” She says. Kimberly chuckles, and then Trini can feel Kimberly shifting before she feels soft lips press against her own.

“Sleep. You need as much rest as you can get.” She says, and Trini nods, still doesn’t open her eyes as she reaches up blindly and wraps her fingers in Kimberly’s hair as soon as she feels it before tugging her down gently for another kiss. 

“Don’t move.” She says simply, and Kimberly kisses her again.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

-

Kimberly’s phone is buzzing in her pocket, and she has half a mind to turn it off or throw it across the room, because she knows who the caller is.

Her mother and father had been hassling her non-stop since the attack yesterday, and Kimberly understood. They were worried about their daughter.

But Kimberly had answered their call as soon as she could and had told them she was fine, that a friend of hers was injured in the attack and that she was staying with them.

But her parents, of course, knew ‘friend’ meant ‘girlfriend’, and her mother had been calling her all morning telling her to get back home immediately.

Kimberly knows she’s gonna be in deep shit when she gets home eventually, but she can’t bring it in her to leave Trini right now.

She almost fucking lost her yesterday, and every second that Trini is out of her sight, it feels like her world is crashing and a weight is on top of her chest all over again, preventing her from breathing properly as the panic settles deep into her body.

She gets it. They’re worried about her. But Kimberly knows their main issue is that she’s with Trini. 

She sighs, feels Trini shift beneath her before she looks up to see her still fast asleep, her brow furrowed as she whimpers slightly, and Kimberly brushes her fingers over the skin of her stomach, knows her dreams are probably nightmares, wishes she could do something to make them stop…

She hears the sound of footsteps, doesn’t move as Diana comes into view, her skin clear of any blood or grime, her hair wet and her body covered with a simple tank top and jeans as she suddenly crouches down beside Trini and reaches out, brushing her index finger down Trini’s forehead and nose, and Kimberly watches in surprise as Trini’s entire body seems to relax, her brow no longer furrowed as Diana smiles softly and continues the movement, resting her chin against Trini’s shoulder before she looks at Kimberly.

“This was the only thing that calmed her down as a child. She always had problems sleeping. First it was the nightmares about monsters…then it was the dark. Now…” Diana trails off, the fond smile on her face wavering as she takes a deep breath in and Kimberly reaches out and grips her other hand tightly.

“You’re an amazing mother, Diana.” She whispers. Diana smiles softly, squeezes her hand gently.

“I try.” She says hoarsely, and Kimberly can’t help but smile, noting another thing in her mind that Trini appears to have picked up from her mother.

Always answering a compliment with ‘I try’.

“The blood on her sheets…on her clothes…no amount of washing them will get rid of it.” Diana says. Kimberly bites down on her bottom lip, nods slowly.

“Maybe you should just burn it all.” She says. Diana blinks once, looks at Trini before looking back at Kimberly.

“Your clothes were covered in blood as well.” Kimberly shakes her head.

“Burn it, too. I don’t want a reminder of yesterday hanging out in my closet, whether it’s washed or not. Burn it.” Kimberly says firmly, reaching up and curling a lock of Trini’s hair between her fingers. Diana nods once, leans down and surprises her with a kiss to her hair before she does the same to Trini and walks away.

Trini begins squirming as soon as Diana leaves, the frown returning, and when Kimberly attempts to run her index finger down Trini’s forehead and nose, it doesn’t affect her in the same way. And she smiles and chuckles under her breath before pressing a kiss to Trini’s throat.

A mother’s touch is what she needs to get rid of the nightmares.

Kimberly can hear Diana moving around, hears the sliding door in the dining room open as Diana steps outside, and the smell of fire and smoke hits her nose not long after, and she closes her eyes and buries her head into Trini’s chest, breathing in her scent instead, because the smell of fire and smoke reminds her too much of destruction and chaos.

She hasn’t even checked the news, seen how the town of Angel Grove is doing after a second attack in a number of weeks, knows this last one was equally as destructive-

Her phone rings again, buzzing in her pocket violently, and Trini suddenly stirs beneath her, wincing slightly as Kimberly shifts in her arms, a growl escaping her as she reaches for her phone in her pocket.

“You stayed.” Trini says, her voice thick with sleep, and she blinks her eyes blearily and looks down just as Kimberly looks up at her with a warm smile.

“Told you I would.” She whispers, and Trini’s smile widens as Kimberly props herself up and kisses her before sighing against her lips.

“I’ve gotta answer this.”

“Okay.” Trini whispers hoarsely, and Kimberly pushes herself up and off Trini’s body without touching her, using the back of the couch for support as she stands and walks into the kitchen.

Trini doesn’t move, can’t be bothered to as she sighs and looks up at the ceiling, and she hears footsteps before Diana’s face suddenly enters her vision, a smile on her face as she hovers over her daughter.

“Morning, little one.” 

“Morning…what’s that smell?” Trini says, wrinkling her nose, and Diana sighs.

“I burned the sheets…and your clothes. No amount of washing was going to get those stains out.” She says, and Trini sighs, but nods.

“Kimberly told me to burn the clothes she was wearing as well.”

“Did you burn your armor, too?” Trini says gruffly, and Diana winces.

“No. That I cleaned.” And Trini feels bile rise in the back of her throat, the thought of Diana scrubbing her blood off her armor making her sit up slowly and reach for her mother’s hand.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.” Diana says simply, sitting down beside her and wrapping her arms around her before she begins playing with her hair. Trini sighs in content, and a few moments later, Kimberly walks back into the room with a frustrated sigh.

“I’ve gotta head home. My parents…”

“It’s okay. I understand.” Trini says immediately, and Kimberly looks at her for a long time with the saddest, most grief stricken expression on her face that Trini grips her hand and shakes her head.

“They’re your parents, Kim. They love you, I know they do. And I’m gonna be just fine, I’ve gotta Diana. Go spend time with them.” 

“They’re gonna chew me out, they’re pissed that I’ve been with you this whole time.” Kimberly grumbles. Diana sighs.

“Kimberly, if you ever need me to talk to them, I will. I won’t hesitate in giving them a piece of my mind. If they want you to come home right now just because they don’t want you around Trini, it’s…” Diana trails over, shakes her head angrily. 

“How can they be so selfish? How could they not want their daughter to be happy? Maybe…maybe if they saw how happy you make each other, they wouldn’t care that you fell in love with a girl, Kimberly.” 

And Kimberly smiles, shakes her head as tears fall down her face.

“Some parents aren’t as amazing and understanding as you, Diana.” Diana frowns at that, and Kimberly sighs.

“Can you do me a favour before I go? Can you take my stitches out? The wound is healed and I don’t want my parents seeing…”

“Of course.” Diana stands, and Trini is about to move with them when Kimberly shakes her head.

“No…get some rest, Trini. You need it.”

“But-.”

“It’s just stitches, babe. I’ll be okay. Rest.” And Trini wants to argue further, but the truth is, her body is aching terribly and she can barely move without causing herself pain, and Kimberly is looking at her with such a warm smile, that it seems pointless to argue. So she simply nods, and Kimberly leans in and presses a gentle kiss to Trini’s lips before resting her forehead against hers.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She whispers.

“Okay.” Trini whispers back.

“I love you. So much.” Kimberly says, her voice shaking slightly. Trini smiles, kisses her again.

“I love you, too. Now go.” Kimberly smiles, finally pulls back, and Diana grips her hand, gives it a reassuring squeeze.

"Go wait in the kitchen, I'll be there in a moment." Kimberly nods, smiles down at Trini before walking away, and as soon as she's gone, Diana looks down at Trini with a frown.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Diana asks Trini. Trini sighs.

“God, I hope so.” 

-

The boys come over just before the afternoon rolls in, all of them smiling widely at Trini no longer confined in bed, but up and moving, despite her back still throbbing with pain with every step she takes.

Zack is the first to arrive, and the first thing he does is take Trini’s hand and help her out into the backyard, Trini wincing slightly as the sun hits her eyes before she smiles and feels the warmth of it, and Zack chuckles before he goes to the garden and grab a rose, and Trini looks in surprise as he cuts one from the hedge and gives it to Trini, cutting off the thorns and sliding it into place behind her ear, and she smiles and presses a kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you.”

“You have no idea how happy I am that you’re okay, crazy girl.” He whispers, hugging her and pressing a kiss to her hair.

They stay in the backyard, Trini soaking up the sun and almost feeling its healing powers, and she ponders if this is how Clark Kent feels when he’s Superman, taking the powers the sun gives him and relishing in it with awe and wonder. 

Diana joins them eventually, bringing over freshly squeezed lemonade for them to drink, and Trini wonders if irony really does exist when, out of nowhere, Diana tells her Clark is coming over.

“Bruce told him what happened, he’s on his way now.”

“Which means he’ll be here-.”

They hear a loud thud, and Trini sighs.

“Now.”

Zack is in complete shock, looking on with wide eyes as a man in a suit with dark hair and bright blue eyes and glasses crash lands into the backyard, causing dirt and moss to fly everywhere before he’s straightening up and walking across the backyard, a look of concern on his face as he unbuttons his jacket with a sigh.

“Why didn’t you call me for help, Diana?” Is the first thing he says, and then he’s crouching down where Trini is sitting, a warm smile on his face as he opens his arms, and Trini wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as he sighs and squeezes her as gently as possible. 

“It was Bruce’s idea not to! I told him to bring the whole League, he said it wasn’t something League worthy. He was very wrong, clearly.” She says through gritted teeth, and Clark sighs. 

“He’s getting old…his judgement isn’t what it used to be.” He says. 

"He was getting old seventeen years ago." Diana mutters. Clark hides a smile, and Trini looks up as Zack clears his throat.

“Uh, Trini…is that Superman?” Zack says, and Trini laughs, looking up at him as Clark lets her go and turns to look at him.

“Is this one of those Power Rangers that Bruce mentioned?” He asks, and Diana smirks and nods.

“Yes. But don’t even think about recruiting them to the League. They have their own mission.” She says sternly, and Clark smiles and stands, extending a hand for Zack to take.

“Clark Kent.”

“Zack Taylor.” 

“You mind not-.”

“Telling anyone Clark Kent is Superman? As long as you don’t tell anyone Zack Taylor is the Black Power Ranger.” Zack says with a grin. Clark gives him a massive grin as well, looks back down at Trini with a warm smile.

“Lois sends her regards. I would’ve brought her with me, but she’s on a big case at the moment. She was worried about you. Really worried.” 

“It’s okay. Thanks, Clark.” Trini says. 

“I can’t believe you know like, the whole Justice League, Trini.” Zack says in disbelief. Trini rolls her eyes.

“I don’t know them well!” And when Clark raises an eyebrow, Trini sighs.

“Okay, so yeah, maybe they practically raised me along with Diana, but still!” 

Clark leaves not long after that, taking off into the sky with Diana and Trini watching him with a smile, Zack looking at him in awe and blinking as the sun hits his eyes, and when Jason and Billy arrive and Zack crows at them about how they just missed out on meeting Superman, Billy is beside himself, on the verge of tears, while Jason simply shakes his head.

“Dammit!”

Zack tells them his mother is getting better every day now that he can afford her medication after Diana asks him how she’s doing, something that warms Trini’s heart as Zack hugs Diana tightly and thanks her over and over again. 

They eventually move into the house, all the boys playing video games while Trini and Diana watch them from the couch, Trini eventually joining in, and when all of their phone buzzes, even Diana’s, they grab them and look down at them in shock.

“Oh whoa…” Jason murmurs, and Trini reads the message with her heart pounding in her ears.

_911 (1)._

_ATTENTION ALL ANGEL GROVE RESIDENTS._  
_The following establishments have been closed until further notice due to destruction from ‘The Second Encounter’:_

_-ANGEL GROVE CITY LIBRARY_  
_-KRISPY KREME_  
_-MCDONALDS_  
_-BASKIN & ROBBINS_  
_-ANGEL GROVE HIGH SCHOOL_  
_-HYPERMAX THEATRES_  
_-GARDEN DOME SHOPPING CENTRE_

_Please look to your local TV news channels or radio stations for further information._

“Shit, the school’s closed down?” Zack says, looking at the others in shock, and Trini grabs the remote and changes the TV away from the PlayStation screen.

The first thing she sees is firefighters and police officers surrounding buildings in Angel Grove, some of them on fire, some of them smoldering ash and Trini looks down at the headline:

_ANGEL GROVE BEGINS SECOND WAVE OF REPAIRS AFTER ‘SECOND ENCOUNTER’ CAUSES FURTHER DESTRUCTION._

“Shit…” Trini raises the volume as Diana suddenly grips her hand tightly. 

_“Andrea, Angel Grove is in a state of shock and anger. This is the second attack to occur in this town in less than two months. Whether it’s aliens, or something else that can’t be explained, we need it to end! Lives have been lost, homes destroyed, what are we supposed to do? Just keep letting these monsters attack our City?”_

The man talking looks upset as the camera suddenly fades from the stock footage and shows a young man sitting opposite a woman at a desk, his eyes filled with rage as he looks at the girl Trini assumes is Andrea.

_“Well, Eddy, I understand your anger, but I think you’re missing the big picture! The Power Rangers saved the day, yet again, and they had assistance from the Justice League themselves! No one missed the sight of Wonder Woman riding on top of one of the Power Ranger’s machines, and that black flying aircraft was not one of the Rangers! That was Batman’s for sure! They helped us from this town becoming complete and utter rubble, and we owe them our lives.”_

Eddy, it appears, does not like that answer.

_“Really? We owe them our lives? Fifty lives were lost yesterday, Andrea. Over a hundred killed in the first attack! That’s at least a hundred and fifty people killed, and hundreds more injured in both attacks! Buildings completely and utterly destroyed, homes ruined, and you say we owe them our lives?”_

Andrea shakes her head furiously, raises a finger to silence Eddy.

_“Eddy, you’re missing the big picture, again! We’re all still alive! And if it wasn’t for the Power Rangers, we would have lost a lot more than our homes!”_

Eddy laughs loudly, the sound not at all humorous as he glares at her.

_“What’s to say these Power Rangers aren’t responsible for these attacks in the first place? All those years ago, when Gotham City was almost destroyed because of Superman, because a creature from his home planet came down to our Earth to destroy him, everyone lauded him as a hero who died for us when he was the one who brought him here in the first place! How do we know these Power Rangers aren’t aliens from another planet trying to seek refuge and ultimately causing us nothing but pain as creatures from their planet try to destroy them?”_

Trini looks down at Jason, Zack and Billy in shock, and they all look at her with concern.

_“Eddy, at the end of the day, if we didn’t have the Power Rangers, or the Justice League, we would all be dead. And Superman saved us, he died to protect us! Just as I believe the Power Rangers would die to protect us as well.”_

Trini swallows the lump in her throat, almost wishes they all knew that one of the Rangers did die in order to protect them, but Eddy is shaking his head again as he opens his mouth in fury.

_“Well Superman came back to life, Andrea. And you want to know why? Because he isn’t human. Just like these Power Rangers, like Wonder Woman, like all of those so called ‘superheroes’ out there. And if they aren’t human, they shouldn’t be here. They shouldn’t be destroying our lives and our homes, our cities, our towns, and calling it ‘saving’ us. Forgive me if I don’t share your notion of gratitude. Sure, the Justice League have done a lot for the world, but the Power Rangers? All they’ve caused is chaos! I, for one, think that Angel Grove would be a lot better without the Power Rangers around.”_

Andrea sighs, turns her attention the camera.

_“A serious debate, but one I don’t think we can all agree on. Head to our website to let us know about your opinions, and please, if anyone is in need of any assistance, call the Angel Grove emergency assistance crew at the number down below. I’ve also just received word that due to Angel Grove High School being closed down, students and staff are not expected to attend tomorrow and, potentially, for the remainder of the week. Word from the Mayor tells us that the school was almost completely destroyed, and that repairs on it will begin as soon as tomorrow. As for when students can expect to return, that’s news we’ll have to wait to hear on.”_

“Well, that’s one good thing to come out of all of this.” Billy says weakly.

“Is that Eddy guy serious? Fuck, if we didn’t do anything yesterday, Rita would’ve destroyed them within minutes! She would’ve gotten her hands on the Crystal, would’ve destroyed the world-.” Zack starts angrily, but Trini shakes her head.

“They don’t know that, Zack. All they know is that these creatures keep popping up all over the town, causing destruction, and we’re always the ones at the forefront ready to stop them.” She says firmly, and Diana nods once.

“He makes a lot of sense. Maybe you guys should think about addressing the town, telling them what you know.”

“Zordon would never let us do that.” Billy says with a frown, and Diana’s expression turns stony.

“Zordon is a fool.” She says stiffly, and Trini can’t help the chuckle that escapes her, but she’s surprised when Jason looks up at her with a frown before nodding.

“You’re right. We need to tell these people what’s going on.”

“But Jason, we can’t tell them about the Zeo Crystal. If we tell them this town is home to a Crystal that could take over the world-.”

“Zack’s right. Don’t tell them that.” Diana says immediately, and Trini sighs, knowing her mother is thinking about all the times humanity is ultimately let her down…

Jason runs his hands through his hair as he takes a deep breath in.

“We’ll come up with something. Something that lets them know that the Town is in danger, but that we’ll always be here to protect it. We’ve gotta give them something to hold on to…”

“Hope.” Diana says. They all look at her, and she smiles fondly before nodding once.

“Give them hope.” She says, and Jason nods, looks up at the screen before his gaze suddenly drops to the ground.

“Yeah…”

Everything goes silent after that, Jason still frowning, Zack and Billy exchanging worried glances until Diana sighs and smiles at them.

“Something to worry about at another time. First, you all need to heal. Yesterday was…traumatizing, to say the least. And I know I’m not your parent, but I think your parents would agree with me if they knew about any of this when I say that you all need time to just…heal. You lost one of your own yesterday, and yes, she came back, but you still lost her. Scars like that don’t heal without proper care.” Diana says firmly, and Trini feels her grip on her hand tighten when she mentions her dying, squeezes her hand back before nodding once.

“She’s right. We gotta take the time to make sure we’re all okay before we even think about Ranger duties again.” 

Jason nods, looks at the others before sighing.

“Okay. But no more anger management lessons, because no offence, Diana, but yesterday was not a good example of containing anger.” 

Diana winces, nods once.

“That’s fair.” 

-

The boys leave well into the night, each of them hugging Trini tightly and telling her they’ll be back tomorrow now that they apparently don’t have school anymore, and Trini smiles and tells them she’ll have movies and video games ready for them when they do, which earns her a grin from Zack, an excited clap of his hands from Billy, and a ruffle of her hair from Jason before he kisses her forehead. 

“Look after yourself tonight.” He says softly.

“I will, boss man.” She teases, and Jason winks at her with a grin. 

Kimberly doesn’t come back, and Trini begins to worry, shooting her a quick text message just to make sure she’s okay.

Kimberly replies almost a whole five minutes later.

_Kimberly Hart (1)._  
_On my way now. Need hugs and kisses. Today was a long day. Xx_

Trini sighs, and Diana looks over at her with a small frown.

“Kimberly?” Trini nods once.

“Her parents were crap today apparently.” Diana sighs, runs her fingers through Trini’s hair.

“You should meet them. Maybe once they get to know you, they’ll see how good you are for each other.” She says softly. Trini bites down on her lip, tries her best not to cry as she looks at Diana with a grimace.

“Are we, though? Good for each other?” She asks slowly. Diana blinks in confusion, and Trini sighs.

“I took Rita to the ship, I…I opened that teleportation device, I brought her back here, and it was all because she was going to force me to break up with Kimberly. She told me that if Kimberly didn’t break up with me, she’d make me break up with her, and I just…I gave in, mom. I took her to the ship because I was selfish. All those people who’ve lost their homes, who were injured…all the ones who died…that’s on me. And it was all because I didn’t wanna break up with Kimberly? It just seems so fucking trivial-.”

“Stop. Enough.” Diana says firmly, and Trini stops herself, lets her tears fall before Diana sighs and moves forward, wiping them away from her cheeks gently.

“If we sat here and tried to decipher who was to blame for Rita, we would be here all day. We’d blame you first, saying you let her go, and then we’d blame Jason for not killing her properly when he slapped her into space, and then we’d blame Zordon for whatever he did to make her that way in the first place, on and on it would go until we discover that no one is to blame. That Rita chose to do this, that she alone is to blame.” Diana watches her intently, cradles her face in her hands and smiles sadly.

“Trini, you were scared. And understandably so. Having some woman in your mind for weeks, torturing you, trying to get you to do what she wanted, God…the fact that you lasted so long just proves to me how strong you really are. You were so brave…so brave.” 

“I didn’t feel brave…I felt weak. Pathetic. She got to me so easily...” Trini whispers, her voice cracking with emotion, and Diana coos softly and pulls her in, hugging her tightly as Trini cries into her shoulder, her whole body so sore, so tired from everything she’s been through…

“Shh, little one, shh…you’re the bravest person I’ve ever met. You were so strong against her, even I could see that. I wish I could take your pain away…” Diana whispers. Trini holds onto her, gulping down air as Diana rubs her back gently.

“I just…I feel like she deserves b-better than me…Kimberly.” Trini manages to get out, and Diana sighs loudly, pressing a kiss to Trini’s hair.

“It doesn’t matter if you think that or not, or even if it’s true or not. Kimberly wants you. She loves you. And you love her. You have no idea…no idea how good you two are together.” Trini pulls back, and Diana tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.

“For years, I fought for my beliefs, for love. But before you came into my life, little one, I was beginning to lose sight of what I believed in. I began to think that maybe it never existed in the first place, that I could never feel it again after losing Steve. But after I found you…after I held you in my arms for the first time, I believed that there was a possibility. And every year that has gone by, watching you grow into the young woman you are today, I know now, that it is not an impossibility. Love is the purest thing that humans have. The purest emotion, purest thought…and that belief only grows stronger the more I see you and Kimberly together.” 

Trini doesn’t know what to say, is at a loss for words, and Diana chuckles and wrinkles her nose before tapping Trini’s nose.

“You, my dearest daughter, need to stop running away from it.” 

Trini blinks in shock, stares as Diana rolls her eyes before standing and holding her hand out for Trini to take.

“Come on, let’s get you in bed.”

“But it's only six o'clock, Kimberly’s coming over.” Trini protests, and Diana raises an eyebrow.

“Good, you’ll have two cuddle buddies tonight then.”

-

“Trini?”

Trini isn’t even aware that she’s dozed off when she hears Kimberly’s voice, soft in her ear as she feels hands graze down her arms gently, and she blinks the sleep away, looks up as Kimberly’s face comes into focus. The first thing she notices is the bandage no longer covering her forehead, a scar that travels from her hairline down to just above her left eyebrow, and Trini reaches up, her fingers touching the scar gently.

“Hey.” She croaks out, her voice thick with sleep, and Kimberly smiles, leans in and kisses her deeply.

Trini kisses her back, reaching a hand up to tangle into her soft curls before Kimberly pulls away.

“What happened with your parents?” Trini asks, and Kimberly winces, shakes her head.

“Not now, please. I swear we’ll talk about it later, but right now…I just want to look after you. How are you feeling?” She asks. Trini hesitates, doesn’t want to tell her that her body still feels like she’s been hit by a freight train and that her back is killing her, wants to know how she’s feeling instead, but Kimberly reads the hesitation on her face and shakes her head.

“It’s okay. I’ll look after you.” She says firmly before leaning in and kissing her again, lips gentle before she pulls away and taps Trini’s shoulder.

“Let me look after you?” She whispers questioningly, and Trini closes her eyes, nods against Kimberly’s forehead before Kimberly pulls back. 

“Sit up.” Trini’s eyes snap open and she raises an eyebrow, and Kimberly chuckles before tapping her chin.

“Go on.” Trini sighs, but eventually sits up slowly, gripping Kimberly’s hand and wincing in pain before she comes to a stop sitting upright. She looks at Kimberly, who smiles and fiddles with the bottom of Trini’s shirt.

“Take this off.” She whispers. Trini hesitates.

“Kim, my mom-.”

“Is out getting ice cream.” She says sheepishly. Trini blinks.

“She asked me if I wanted some privacy with you, I wasn’t gonna turn it down.” Kimberly says with a shrug, and Trini chuckles under her breath.

“Of course.” Kimberly grins.

“She said something about craving ice cream, and then said something else about how it might take a while for her to find an ice cream place since all of Angel Grove’s ones are destroyed…I think she might want us to be alone.” Kimberly says with a frown, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Sometimes, I swear…” Kimberly laughs, leans in and kisses her before tugging on her shirt.

“Come on. This. Off.” Trini laughs.

“You’re so impatient. Fine, but you’re gonna have to help me.” Kimberly nods once.

“With pleasure.” She helps Trini shrug out of her sleeves, since she’s still incapable of lifting her arms above her head, and eventually pulls the shirt up and off her body before tossing it onto the side of the bed.

Her fingers touch the bandage on her stomach, a sadness in her eyes that makes Trini shake her head and kiss her deeply.

“Don’t be sad.” She whispers. Kimberly lets out a shaky breath, smiles before she reaches out and pulls her left bra strap before letting it twang back onto Trini’s skin with a snap.

“Ow.” Trini deadpans, and Kimberly chuckles.

“Off.” She says simply. Trini shakes her head.

“You do it.” She teases, and Kimberly raises an eyebrow before she straddles Trini’s lap, holding all her weight up on her knees as she rests her hands on Trini’s shoulders. 

“I’m trying to be a good girlfriend.”

“How, by getting me naked?” Trini says with a breathless laugh, and Kimberly chuckles.

“You’ll see.” She leans in, kissing her deeply before her cold fingers graze the warm skin of Trini’s back, a soft whine escaping her when she touches the bandage on Trini’s back, and then she’s unclasping her bra, pulling it open and sliding it down Trini’s arms before throwing it over the side of the bed to join her shirt.

Trini shudders, kisses Kimberly deeply as a whine escapes her throat, and Kimberly nips her bottom lip between her teeth before pulling away.

“Now comes the hard part.”

“Oh?”

“Roll onto your stomach.” Trini frowns.

“Uh…”

“Trust me?” Kimberly says simply, and Trini nods without hesitation.

“Of course.” Kimberly smiles fondly at that, kisses her again before pushing her down as gently as possible onto the mattress.

“Roll onto your stomach then.” 

She jumps off Trini, sitting down beside her, and Trini sighs before rolling slowly, tears springing to her eyes immediately from the pain before Kimberly reaches out and grips her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of her palm.

“I’m sorry, baby, but it’ll be worth it. I promise.” Trini nods, settles down onto her stomach and rests her head on her pillow before turning to look at Kimberly.

“You gonna tell me what this is about now?” She croaks out, her whole body flaring with pain, and Kimberly leans down, presses a kiss to her cheek.

“Does your butt hurt?” She asks. Trini’s eyes widen.

“What the fuck?” She whispers, and Kimberly blinks in confusion before her eyes widen.

“Trini, seriously?” Kimberly cries, clapping a hand over her mouth, and Trini slaps her knee.

“What did you think I was gonna think when you ask me to get half naked and ask about my butt?!” She yells, and Kimberly laughs loudly, her whole face turning red as she wipes tears of mirth from her eyes, and the sight makes Trini grin widely with euphoria.

“I don’t mean it like that, I just…I’m asking if your butt hurts so I can sit on top of it.” Kimberly says, and Trini frowns before she suddenly begins to piece it all together.

“Oh…OH!” She says, and Kimberly rolls her eyes.

“You’re un-fucking-believable.” She says, still wiping tears from her eyes as Trini grins widely and shakes her head.

“No, my butt doesn’t hurt, but I’ll let you know?” She says, and Kimberly nods once.

“Alright.” She moves up, positions her knees on either side of Trini’s body before sitting down on Trini’s backside, and Trini winces when the movement jostles her lower back, but once Kimberly settles, the pain subsides.

“Yeah, good. No pain. Just don’t move too much.” Trini says, and Kimberly’s cold fingers touch her bare back.

“Should I take this off?” She asks, touching the bandage, and Trini nods once.

“Yeah.” She breathes, and Kimberly sighs before she peels it back gently, Trini wincing slightly before she finally removes it completely.

“How is it?” Trini asks. 

“I think it’s completely healed…no swelling, no redness…” Kimberly says, her fingers touching the stitches lightly. Trini sighs, looks back at Kimberly and nods once. 

“Okay.” Kimberly smiles, leans down and kisses the skin beside her stitches gently. Trini buries her head in her pillow and after a few moments, there’s the sound of a bottle being squeezed. Trini glances back to see Kimberly with a bottle of massage oil in her hands.

“I seriously love you.” Trini groans, smashing her head into her pillow and shuddering with anticipation.

“I haven’t even started yet.” Kimberly laughs. Trini groans again.

“I don’t care. I love you.” Kimberly chuckles, leans down and presses open mouthed kisses along Trini’s spine, stopping short just where her stitches begin.

“I love you, too.” She whispers against her skin. Trini feels her straighten up, and then her hands are massaging her upper back, thumbs digging into her shoulder muscles and Trini is moaning loudly, but she doesn’t care, because fuck it feels so fucking amazing-

It hurts in the best way possible, her muscles relaxing as soon as Kimberly’s fingers attack them with pressure, the oil smooth on her skin as Kimberly’s hands glide over the middle of her back around the area where her stitches are with ease, and Trini’s pretty sure this is speeding up the healing process, can already feel her back moving more feely under Kimberly’s fingers-

But as soon as Kimberly reaches her lower back, the area where Trini’s pretty sure Rita broke her back, Trini bites down on her pillow when Kimberly begins working on it, the pain overtaking the pleasure as tears spring to her eyes.

“Trini?” Kimberly’s hands still, and she shakes her head.

“No, I’m okay, keep going. It’s helping.” She gasps out, and Kimberly hesitates before Trini looks back at her.

“Seriously, it’s okay. Go for it.” She says more firmly, and Kimberly sighs before she continues her attack, massaging the muscle and the bone as Trini whines beneath her, digging her nails into her sheets before burying her head into the pillow.

“Trini, if it’s too much-.”

“It’s not. I promise.” She breathes, and Kimberly keeps going, and eventually, the pain fades, the pleasure returns, and Trini relaxes underneath Kimberly’s body as she leans down and presses a kiss to the back of Trini’s neck.

“You alright?” She asks. Trini nods slowly.

“Yeah. This is helping a lot, my back already feels so much better.” She whispers. Kimberly smiles, presses another kiss to her hair before she begins massaging her neck and her shoulders, then her arms, her hands, her fingers…

“Full body, huh?” Trini says lazily, and Kimberly nods.

“Only the best for my favorite girl.” She says, and Trini smiles tiredly.

“Does that mean…” She starts, but Kimberly shushes her.

“I’ve got it. Don’t worry.” She moves off Trini’s backside and gets to work sliding her shorts down, taking her underwear with her, and Trini shivers from the cold before Kimberly presses a kiss to the back of her left thigh before she begins massaging it.

“Jesus Christ, Kimberly…” Trini buries her head back into her pillow, and it takes everything in her not to fall asleep as Kimberly massages her thighs before moving down to her calf muscles, and when she takes Trini’s feet between her hands and digs her thumb into the arch of Trini’s foot, her toes curl and she moans softly.

“I need you to stop doing that.” Kimberly says suddenly.

“Doing what?” Trini breathes, and Kimberly slaps her thigh playfully.

“You know what?”

“Don’t. Tell me.” Trini says, moaning again when Kimberly digs her thumb into her arch again.

“That.” Kimberly says, and Trini grins widely.

“What?” She teases, even though she knows full well what, and Kimberly growls lightly.

“Moaning like that. Can’t lie, you’re turning me on, girl.” She sing songs, and Trini laughs quietly.

“What, me naked wasn’t enough of a turn on?” She says, looking back at her girlfriend, who suddenly roams her eyes up and down Trini’s body before blushing furiously and averting her gaze.

“Shut up.” She says simply, and Trini grins before Kimberly moves to her other foot.

And really, she has every intention of following Kimberly’s orders, but she can’t help herself when Kimberly digs her thumb into the arch of her other foot, massaging it deeply…

A loud moan escapes her, and Kimberly whines before she drops her foot and growls lightly.

“Fuck it.” She practically jumps her, kissing her deeply as Trini adjusts herself until she’s on her side, gripping Kimberly’s hair in her hands and moaning against her lips as Kimberly pulls her naked body close to her, desperate for contact as she glides her hand down Trini’s thigh before hooking it under her knee and lifting her leg up over her hip. Trini grabs the bottom of her shirt and tugs it, and Kimberly doesn’t hesitate, lifts her shirt up and over her head before throwing it across the room and kissing Trini again, rolling over until she’s on top of Kimberly-

“Girls! I brought ice-cream!” Diana’s voice echoes out from downstairs, following by the sound of a door shutting.

“Oh come on!” Trini pants against Kimberly’s lips, and she has half a mind to keep going, her body tingling with an overwhelming desire when Kimberly shakes her head and pulls away from her.

“No, no, no, this…this is a good thing, we-we shouldn’t, you’re injured-.” She gasps out. 

“Right, right…” Trini says, kissing her deeply once again before Kimberly whines and pulls away from her again.

“Trin…” She whispers, and Trini sighs, nods once before she rolls off Kimberly to lie flat on her back on the bed again.

“Fuck.” She says simply, and Kimberly laughs, gets off the bed and reaches for her discarded shirt before putting it back on.

Trini gets up, grins widely when she doesn’t need help doing so at all, her legs only shaking slightly and her back throbbing with a dull ache as Kimberly leans in and kisses her gently.

“Better?” She asks softly.

“Much. Thank you.” She whispers against her lips, and Kimberly kisses her again.

“You’re welcome.” 

Kimberly helps her dress, Trini still not able to fully bend down and pick up her clothing, and Trini hops down the stairs hand in hand with her and walks into the kitchen to see Diana with two tubs of ice cream in her hands.

“Luckily, the local Wal-Mart wasn’t damaged.” She says with a sigh, grabbing two spoons from the drawer before handing them and the cookies and cream tub of ice cream to Trini.

She takes it with a grin, hands a spoon to Kimberly before they both walk into the living room and collapse against the couch, Trini turning on whatever movie is inside the Blu-ray player. 

Diana joins them a moment later, scooping vanilla ice cream out of her own tub, and Trini smiles softly before leaning in and taking a scoop of it with her own spoon.

“You’re remembering Steve, aren’t you?” She asks before eating it, and Diana smiles fondly, looks down at the ice-cream before looking up at Trini.

“All that talk about love…it made me a little sentimental.” She says, and Trini smiles.

“You always buy vanilla ice-cream when you think of him.” She says softly, and Diana chuckles and pinches her cheek.

“You’re too observant for your own good.” She says, and Trini laughs before Kimberly looks at them with a mouthful of cookies and cream ice-cream in her mouth.

“Did I miss something?” She asks, and Trini chuckles before leaning in and pressing a kiss to her cheek, leaving cookies and cream residue on her skin.

“Nope.” She says with a grin.

As soon as the movie is done, Trini yawns and looks at Diana, who smiles before brushing her hair back from her face.

“Bed time?”

“Mmm, but can you do me a favor first?” 

“Of course.”

“My stitches…can you take them out?” 

-

“There, all done.” 

Trini looks down at her stomach to see it free of stitches, and Diana rubs a cotton ball filled with rubbing alcohol over it before looking up at Trini.

“Completely healed.”

“Not completely.” Kimberly says, touching the wound with her fingers, and Trini sighs.

There’s definitely going to permanent scars, the one on her stomach resting just beside and slightly above her belly button, about three inches long and stark white against her tanned skin, and Trini reaches behind her back, feels the ridges in the exact same spot on her back, and she blinks her tears away and nods once.

“I’m alive. That’s what matters.” She says, and Diana leans in and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Come on. Bed.” She says hoarsely, her voice thick with emotion, and Trini doesn’t say anything, takes Diana’s hand with one of her own before reaching for Kimberly with her other hand, and all three of them walk up the stairs and into her room, Trini curling up onto her side in the middle while Diana and Kimberly lay down on either side of her, all of them looking up at the ceiling in silence for a few moments.

“Man, we’re lucky this bed is a Queen sized bed.” Trini says suddenly, and Diana chuckles.

“Yes…and that you’re the size of a pea.” Trini gasps in mock anger and looks at Diana, and she laughs loudly before hugging her close.

“I’m kidding, I’m sorry-.” She teases, and Trini shakes her head, squirms away from her.

“Unbelievable.” She mutters, and Kimberly laughs as Diana kisses Trini’s cheek against her wishes, Trini trying, barely, to shove her off. 

Trini grins and looks at Kimberly, who reaches out and touches her cheek before Trini grabs her wrist.

“Your parents. What happened?” She asks softly. Diana props herself up onto her elbows to look at Kimberly over Trini’s body, and Kimberly looks at them both before sighing.

“I walked through the door, and they were about to yell at me, and then I just kind of started crying, and…and I think that’s when they realized that I wasn’t lying, that you really were injured, that I was telling them the truth. They hugged me…told me they were sorry. Said they were glad I was okay. They…they want to meet you.” She tells Trini.

Trini’s heart stops before it pounds against her chest painfully, and Diana touches her shoulder.

“That’s good! Really good! It means they’re open to it!” She says, and Kimberly smiles.

“Yeah. They said…they said they want me to be happy, but that they were worried about what our family back home in India will think…Dad says he’s open to being open about it, you know, he’s never been religious or anything, American born and bred, but Mom…Mom will be tough to crack. But I think once they meet you, Trin, once they see how happy you make me-.”

“I’ll do it.” Trini says. Kimberly’s eyes widen.

“Yeah?” She breathes. Trini smiles.

“Of course.” She says firmly, even though her heart is pounding at the idea, sweat building on her forehead at the thought of meeting her parents, but the smile on Kimberly’s face melts all her doubts away.

Kimberly leans in, kisses her, laughs when Diana covers her eyes with her hand and looks up at the ceiling, and Trini rolls her eyes before grabbing Diana’s hand and wrapping it around her waist.

“Can we sleep now? I’m tired.” She says, and Diana laughs and curls herself against Trini’s back as Trini grabs Kimberly’s hand and interlaces it with her own.

As soon as Diana’s breathing evens behind her after about twenty minutes, her hold around her waist slacking slightly, Trini reaches up and touches Kimberly’s cheek, watches as she smiles tiredly at her.

“I’ll do whatever it takes.” She whispers. Kimberly leans in, careful not to touch Diana’s arm as she kisses her.

“I love you.” She whispers against her lips.

“I love you, too.” Trini whispers back.

Kimberly smiles, rests her forehead against Trini’s before intertwining their hands again, and it isn’t long before Kimberly falls asleep, her breathing even as Trini reaches up and skims her fingers across Kimberly’s jawline.

She has two people she loves sleeping on either side of her, and despite all their anguish, all their battle scars, they're at least all together, and in this moment...

In this moment, they're happy.


	9. living in ruins of a palace within my dreams (and you know, we're on each other's team)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Team" by Lorde. 
> 
> okay, you know how i said the last chapter was the longest one i've done?  
> i lied.  
> this is super long, there is a bit of smut, it's not heavy though! ish... =D  
> also, I finally bit the bullet...I made a tumblr!  
> it's movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com! I'm looking forward to messages and prompts from you guys!  
> anyway, here is the over 15K chapter you've all been waiting for! A lot happens! It's great!

_Fire._

_All she can see, taste, smell, hear is fire. Burning rage that settles deep into her stomach and makes her heart race as Rita steps forward, Diana’s sword in her hand._

_“Say hello the other Yellow Ranger for me.” She hisses._

_She strikes forward._

_Pain. Pain everywhere._

_She can’t breathe, can’t move-_

“TRINI, WAKE UP!”

She feels something hard hit her cheek, opens her eyes and gasps for air as her whole body propels forward in shock, and when Diana and Kimberly’s faces come into view, their faces looking pale blue in dusk of the sunrise, she looks at both of them with wide eyes, sweat dripping from her forehead as she swallows the lump in her throat.

“I-I’m okay…n-nightmare.” She chokes out. Diana frowns with concern, and Kimberly leans in and kisses her forehead, the taste of sweat staining her lips before she pushes Trini back down onto the bed slowly.

“Shh, we’re right here.” She whispers, and Diana sighs before she gets up off the bed and runs a hand through Trini’s sweat-soaked hair.

“I’ll make you some chamomile tea. Keep breathing.” She whispers. Trini nods once, watches as Diana leaves the room as Kimberly continues stroking her hair back from her forehead, pushing back the pieces that stick to her skin from the sweat as she leans in and kisses Trini’s cheek softly.

“I’m sorry I woke you up.” Trini whispers, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“You didn’t, don’t worry.” Trini frowns, looks up at Kimberly and she sighs.

“Diana had a nightmare, too.” Trini’s eyes widen and she looks at Kimberly in shock.

“She…I didn’t even wake up-.”

“She was quiet about it. I heard her mumbling your name, and when I reached out to her she just kinda jumped and woke up. She didn’t sleep again after that.”

“So you weren’t asleep either?” Trini says, and Kimberly winces. Trini reaches up, touches the dark circles around her eyes softly.

“C’mere.” Kimberly buries her head against Trini’s chest as she plays with her hair, her arms wrapped around her tightly.

“Sleep. I’m right here.” Trini murmurs, and Kimberly grips her shirt between her fingers, nods against her before pressing a kiss to her collarbone.

“How long do you think it’ll take?” She whispers.

“I don’t know.” Trini whispers back. 

Kimberly’s out like a light within five minutes, and Trini holds her, presses kisses to her hair as Diana returns about ten minutes later, a tray with three mugs of chamomile tea in her hands as she walks in. Trini adjusts herself out from underneath Kimberly, resting her on the pillow gently before she sits on the edge of the bed and takes one of the mugs off the tray.

“Thank you.” She whispers. Diana smiles, takes a mug for herself and leaves the tray and the last mug on the bedside table as she glances at Kimberly.

“She didn’t sleep the whole night.” Diana says hoarsely. Trini runs a hand through her hair with a sigh.

“None of us are okay…she told me you had a nightmare, too.” Diana winces before she purses her lips.

“These things take time, Trini. You died, it’s not something we can just get over.”

“I know. I just…I want us all to be okay.” Diana smiles sadly, grips her hand and squeezes it gently.

“We will be.” 

“But what if something happens again, and we’re not okay? We need to be ready for whatever comes. God, I wish we could just take our time to heal and get over what happened, but I feel like we don’t. We never know when the next attack can happen, and it sucks. I just…I wish we had more time.” Trini says, and Diana suddenly freezes, her expression turning blank as tears spring to her eyes. Trini looks at her with wide eyes.

“What? What did I say?” She asks softly, and Diana suddenly shakes her head, purses her lips before taking Trini’s hand.

“Nothing. Get some sleep, okay?” Diana stands, presses a kiss to Trini’s forehead, but doesn’t look at her as she leaves the room, and Trini blinks in shock, watching her retreating body with a frown before she looks down at Kimberly with hesitation.

She’s still asleep, her breathing even and a small frown on her face, and Trini bites her lip before she stands and follows Diana out of the room, setting her mug down on the tray on the bedside table.

She walks down the stairs, looks in the living room and the kitchen and doesn’t find her anywhere. Panic’s starting to build in her before her gaze travels over the backyard.

Diana is outside, standing in the middle of the backyard and looking up at the sky, twilight setting in as the orange rays of the sun just below the horizon peek out, and Trini watches as Diana takes a deep breath in and closes her eyes. 

Trini simply watches her, doesn’t feel inclined to interrupt the moment. She’s seen Diana do this a few times, mostly after she’s returned from a mission with the League, has never understood why Diana does it…

She finds herself moving forward and opening the sliding door, finds herself stepping out into the backyard, her bare feet crunching against the grass before she stands beside Diana and takes her hand.

Diana doesn’t open her eyes, jolts only a little when she feels Trini’s hand make contact with hers, but Trini watches a small smile form on her face before she interlaces their fingers together.

“Sometimes I find myself asking why. Why I’m here, why I’ve lost what I’ve lost, gained what I’ve gained. Sometimes I ask the Gods, my father, if he was right in making me. I was brought on this Earth to destroy one man, and when I did, I struggled for a long time with finding a reason to keep going. So, sometimes I find myself asking why. This…this calms me. To feel the wind, the warmth of the sun…to come to the conclusion that I don’t care why I’m here anymore…only that I am.” 

She takes another deep breath in, finally blinks before looking down at Trini with a warm smile, and she goes to move, but Trini squeezes her fingers and shakes her head.

“No, I…can we stay?” She says hoarsely. Diana watches her, comes to realization before she nods once and looks back up at the sky, and Trini does the same, closes her eyes and breathes in as the sun breaks over the horizon and hits her, and she can’t help the smile that forms on her face at the warmth that lights her body, how the color beneath her eyelids turns red, bright with the sun’s rays…

_I’m here. I’m alive and I’m here. That’s what matters._

-

“GO!”

Jason begins scoffing down two slices of pizza, and Zack’s eyes widen as he shoves a third slice on top of the two he already has in his mouth.

Kimberly watches them both intently, her phone in her hands and her stopwatch app open as Billy cheers on Jason, and Trini cheers on Zack.

“Come on, Zack! Eat faster!” Trini yells, picking up another piece of pizza to hand to Zack, and Billy points at her.

“Cheating!” He shouts.

“HOW?!” Trini shouts back.

“Thirty seconds, guys!” Kimberly says, and Jason grunts as he takes another bite. 

Diana watches them, smirking as she shakes her head when Zack yells and grabs a fourth slice despite the fact that he still hasn’t even remotely finished the three in his other hand.

She’s not exactly sure how this came to happen.

The boys had arrived by the afternoon, and Diana had been about to cook for all of them before Zack had said he was hungry enough to eat an entire pizza, and Jason had said he was hungry enough to eat two.

Zack had stared for a long time, and then him and Jason were both standing and challenging each other to a pizza-off, which Diana had no idea consisted of both of them eating as much pizza as they could within two minutes. 

She doesn’t mind the fact that her dining table is now covered in pizza toppings, just watches with a warm smile as Kimberly eats a slice of pizza as slowly as possible, while Billy and Trini cheer on Jason and Zack, both of them now shoving a fifth slice of pizza into their mouths.

“A minute thirty, guys!” Kimberly yells. 

Zack stands now, grabbing a sixth slice as Billy cheers, and Diana stands behind Kimberly as they both count the seconds down.

“Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven-.”

“COME ON ZACK!” Trini yells. Zack high fives her, and glances over at Jason as Billy grips his shoulder.

“THREE! TWO! ONE!”

Jason and Zack collapse against their chairs, and Diana walks over to Jason’s pizza box, counts six slices before walking over to Zack and counting.

“Seven slices. Zack wins!” She yells, raising his hand in victory. Trini crows loudly, and Zack grins with a mouthful of pizza and gives the middle finger to Jason, which causes him to laugh and choke on the pizza in his mouth, causing some of it to fly out of his mouth and land on the table. 

“JASON! GROSS!” Kimberly yells, jumping back, and he covers his mouth with his hands, mumbling out an incredibly muffled apology.

“Wanna try and take my title, Diana?” Zack says after he swallows down the food in his mouth with a grin, and Trini suddenly grabs his hand.

“Don’t. She’ll destroy you.” 

Zack scoffs, and Diana touches his shoulder.

“She’s right.” She says with a sigh, and Zack’s eyes go wide.

“Oh we’re so having an eating contest one day, Mama Wonder.” 

Diana eventually leaves the kids to their video games and movies once they all help clear the table, heading upstairs to read a book or just relax and enjoy the sounds of a full house when her phone rings loudly. 

As soon as she sees the caller ID, she sighs and answers it.

“Yes, Bruce?”

“Clark just punched me in the face. It hurt a lot. He said it was for Trini. Why?” He says simply, and Diana bites back a laugh.

“He didn’t agree with your notion that the League didn’t need to be called for the fight with Rita.” 

Bruce is silent for a few moments before he sighs loudly.

“Okay, that’s fair.” Diana laughs loudly this time, and she’s surprised to hear Bruce chuckle.

“How is she?” 

“Better. Her powers are no joke, she’s almost back to normal, just still in a bit of pain.” Diana says with a sigh.

“A Power Ranger. Can’t believe I’ve never heard of them before.” Bruce scoffs.

“They did kind of come out of nowhere.” Diana agrees.

“Did Trini tell you the story of how she became one?” He asks. Diana shrugs.

“Just that she found those Power Coins with the other kids in the side of a Cliff and it led them to a spaceship that belonged to the original Power Rangers. It seemed pretty straight forward.”

“Hmm…and how is she doing mentally? Trini?” Bruce asks.

Diana doesn’t answer, and Bruce lets out another sigh.

“Keep her by your side.”

“I always do.”

“Anyway, that’s not why I called. I called because I’m headed to Angel Grove. Well, not Angel Grove, specifically, but I just landed in San Francisco, I’ve got some Wayne Enterprises stuff to deal with, and I figured I could drive down and take you and Trini out for dinner.” Diana smiles.

“Sounds good. I’ll let her know.”

“Great. I should be there in a few hours.” 

They end the call not long after, and Diana walks into Trini’s room, looks around the place with wonder before her eyes catch the guitar in the corner, and she stares at it in shock, a grin playing on her lips.

She chuckles, remembers eight year old Trini tugging on her shirt and begging her to buy her a guitar, remembers walking into her room and seeing her playing it with ease, Diana looking on in shock as Trini grins up at her and tells her she taught herself how to play by ear.

Diana hadn’t even known she had a talent for music, and it wasn’t long before she bought them a piano as well, Trini teaching herself how to play within weeks.

The piano has been untouched since they arrived in Angel Grove, music being something that Trini only dabbles in, but Diana finds herself wanting to hear her sing, to pluck the strings of her guitar or stroke the keys of the piano…

So she crosses the room and takes the guitar into her hands before walking downstairs with it.

As soon as she enters the living room, she observes as Trini jams her fingers into the buttons of the PlayStation controller, her brow furrowed and her tongue sticking out between her lips as she sits in Kimberly’s lap, Kimberly’s hands resting on her thighs and her head resting on Trini’s shoulder.

“Come on, babe, kick his ass! Make him lose twice today!” She cheers, and Jason laughs and handles the buttons on his controller with ease.

“Not happening, Kimmy! I have a little sister and this game is her favorite!” He grins, Zack and Billy both cheering him on as Trini growls in frustration.

Diana smiles, sits down on the couch opposite them with the guitar, resting it on her knee and curling her hand around the fretboard before plucking the strings, and they all look up at the sound in wonder.

“Oh, my guitar!” Trini says, her furrowed brow disappearing as a grin lights her face, the game suddenly forgotten.

“I was hoping you could play. I haven’t heard you sing in a while.” Diana says, and Trini smiles before passing the controller to Billy.

“Of course.” 

“Wait, you sing, crazy girl?!” Zack exclaims, looking at her in shock, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Not very often.”

“Clearly. I didn’t know that either.” Kimberly mutters, looking at Trini eagerly.

“Play for us, Trin!” Billy says, clapping his hands excitedly as he pauses the game, and Trini raises her hands in surrender.

“Alright, alright, jeez. Any requests?” She asks, taking the guitar from Diana’s hands and sitting down beside her as she rests the guitar on her thigh before gripping the tuning pegs and tuning the guitar, plucking the strings as she does. 

“Oh, you gotta sing in Spanish, Trini. Go on.” Zack says, and Trini frowns as she ponders for a song before her smile brightens.

“Okay. I got one.” 

She finishes tuning the guitar before she clears her throat and curls her fingers over the fretboard, and then she’s stroking the strings, the sound reverberating through the living room, and as soon as Diana hears the chords, she hums in content and smiles as she closes her eyes.

“I love this song.” She whispers, swaying along just as Trini begins singing.

_“Yo, te di todo mi amor y más_  
_Y tú no reconoces ni lo que es amar_  
_Yo, me puse dispuesta a tus pies_  
_Y tan sólo con desprecio me has pagado, pero ahora ve!”_

Diana finds herself singing along under her breath as she looks down at the others, Jason and Zack swaying their heads and Zack making facial expressions as if he’s in a Spanish telenovela, Billy watches Trini’s fingers the most, as if he’s trying to work out the mechanics of how the guitar works through the movements, and Kimberly-

Diana smirks as Kimberly watches Trini with her mouth dropped open, eyes wide as Trini continues singing before looking over at Diana and grinning as she nods, Diana taking it as a sign for her to sing along, and she does, harmonizing with Trini as she smiles and closes her eyes.

_“Si una vez dije que te amaba_  
_Hoy me arrepiento_  
_Si una vez dije que te amaba_  
_No sé lo que pensé estaba loca_  
_Si una vez dije que te amaba_  
_Y que por ti la vida daba_  
_Si una vez dije que te amaba_  
_No lo vuelvo a hacer_  
_Ese error es cosa de ayer!”_

“Ay yai yai! Caliente!” Zack sings, waving his hand as if he’s been burned as Jason howls, and Billy claps, a gigantic grin on his face as Trini bows her head.

“Thank you, thank you.” She says, and Diana raises an eyebrow as Kimberly squirms in her seat and clears her throat. 

“Jeez, I didn’t know you could sing, Trini! You too, Diana!” Jason says, and they both shrug.

“Eh, it’s nothing.” They say at the same time, and Trini grins widely at her before Zack suddenly claps his hands and jumps up.

“Alright, well, as fun as this has been, I gotta head home. I feel sick after devouring seven slices of pizza in two minutes, and mom needs her medication. I’ll see you guys tomorrow?”

“About that.” Jason suddenly stands, a frown on his face as he looks at his fellow Rangers.

“I was hoping that tomorrow we could all go to the ship and talk to Zordon about addressing the people of Angel Grove. I wanted to put it off until Trini was better, but the more I see stuff on the news about how we’ve disappeared, the more anxious I get that they might start rebelling against us and it won’t end well. Trini, if you’re not up for it-.”

“No, I am. One hundred percent.” Trini says, nodding firmly. The others nod as Zack grips his shoulder.

“Just let us know the time and place to meet you, dude.”

“Meet here before you go. Kimberly and Trini will be here anyway.” Diana says, and Jason nods once.

“Alright. Meet here around the afternoon?” They all nod, and Jason smiles before looking at Diana.

“Thanks, Diana.” She smiles back.

“No problem.”

“Alright, see you guys later.” Zack says, and Jason claps his back before looking down at Billy.

“You wanna head home, man?” He asks, and Billy nods once, before he suddenly hesitates and looks at Trini.

“Hey, can you teach me how to play?” He asks, and Trini smiles softly.

“Of course, Billy.” He claps his hands with a grin, and Jason chuckles as he puts an arm around his shoulders and they both wave goodbye to the others before leaving.

Trini stands, rests the guitar on the couch before looking at Kimberly.

“Impressed?” She asks, and Kimberly scoffs in disbelief before she walks up to her and hugs her from behind, wrapping her arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to the back of her head.

“That was…I don’t even have words.” She says, and Trini laughs before looking at Diana. 

“That was random. I didn’t know you missed me playing.” She says, and Diana smiles softly.

“I saw it in your room, it made me nostalgic. I remembered when you begged me for a guitar and a piano. I’m still in shock that you learned how to play them both within weeks.”

“You can play the piano, too?” Kimberly groans, and Trini laughs and turns her head to the side to press a kiss to Kimberly’s cheek.

“Another time. I’m all sung out.” She teases. Kimberly’s phone suddenly rings out, and she sighs before grabbing it out of her pocket and looking down.

“It’s mom. I should head home for a bit.” She mutters. Trini nods once, pulls away from her as Kimberly purses her lips.

“I hate leaving you.” Trini shakes her head.

“Go. Spend some time with your mom and dad, I’ll still be here.” Kimberly winces, and Diana shakes her head. 

“Bruce is in San Francisco and called me, he told me he’s swinging past Angel Grove to see us and take us out to dinner, anyway, so…”

“Ah, well, then...guess I have no choice.” Kimberly says with a chuckle, and Trini sighs.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, hey, don’t be silly. I’ll see you later, okay?” Trini nods, and Kimberly kisses her gently before Trini suddenly turns to Diana with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh, Bruce does realize there’s no fancy restaurants in Angel Grove, right?” And Diana grins.

“He doesn’t need to know that.”

-

“I can’t wait to read the headlines about Bruce Wayne dining at a Wendy’s.” Trini says, munching on fries with a grin as Bruce shrugs.

“Hey, I may be rich, but I can enjoy a good greasy burger every once in a while.” He says with a lopsided smile. 

“Thank you for this, Bruce.”

“No problem. I figured I owed you guys a dinner considering I kinda screwed up with the Rita situation.” Bruce says with a frown, and Trini shakes her head.

“You saved my life, regardless of whether the rest of the League was there or not. No one would’ve thought of using adrenaline. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Anytime, kid.” 

Bruce and Diana eventually begin a conversation that has Bruce throwing furtive looks at Trini, and she rolls her eyes, knows they’re discussing League business as she raises her hands in surrender.

“Don’t worry, go ahead and talk League stuff, I’ll busy myself.” Diana smirks, and Trini turns her back on them. She finds herself staring outside, a strange feeling buzzing throughout her body that’s been going on since Kimberly left her house, and she can’t exactly explain what it is, but she finds herself squirming in her seat as she absentmindedly turns her head to look at two people sitting in a booth near them, finds her eyes staring at the man opposite his friend, the green shirt he has on sticking out like a sore thumb, and Trini winces before she drops her gaze down to her feet, scuffing them on the floor as she sighs, a feeling of dread and sadness pounding through her erasing the unknown feelings she has coursing through her.

Rita. 

She knows she’ll carry what Rita did to her for a long time, possibly forever, but she can’t stop thinking about what she said to her about Zordon. That he and the other Rangers had betrayed her and left her behind.

Granted, Trini didn’t agree with Rita’s idea of using the crystal to bring her people back to invade Earth, but for Zordon to just abandon her because of the idea…

She needed to know the full story. 

Trini sighs and reaches behind her, grabbing her phone out of her pocket and opening the group chat.

_Go, Go Power Rangers! Group Chat:_

_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Does anyone know what Zordon did with Rita’s body?_  
_JayJay: Nope. He told me he’d ‘take care of it’. I don’t know what he meant by that._  
_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Another thing we’ll have to talk to him tomorrow…_  
_BillyBoy: Why?_  
_Trini’Fresh’Prince: I don’t know…guess I need closure._

The group chat goes silent for a few moments. And then:

_ZackTaylorSwift: Makes sense. We’ll ask him._  
_BillyBoy: For sure._  
_JayJay: One of the first questions we’ll ask._

Trini smiles softly, types out a quick reply.

_Trini’Fresh’Prince: You guys are actually the best._  
_ZackTaylorSwift: Ooh, you getting all soft on us, crazy girl!?_  
_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Aaaand you ruined it, Zack._  
_ZackTaylorSwift: Love youuuuuuuuuuu!_

Trini’s phone buzzes, and she checks the banner to see a message from Kimberly.

_Kimberly Hart (1)._  
_Everything okay babe? Xx_

Trini smiles and quickly types out a reply.

_How’d you know? Doesn’t say you’ve seen the messages in the group chat._

The bubbles appear, and Trini watches them intently.

_Kimberly Hart (1)._  
_Felt it. Just read the messages now. Why do you wanna know about Rita’s body?_

Trini sighs and types out a reply, still doesn’t quite understand how Kimberly is so in tune with her emotions.

_Like I said, closure. Hey, are you busy? Bruce and Diana are talking Justice League stuff and I’m not allowed to know, so they’ve kinda shut me out of the conversation. Can you pick me up and take me home?_

Trini feels a sudden rush of desire, of something that feels all too familiar whenever she’s with her girlfriend, the same feeling she’s had for the last two hours, and when she reads Kimberly’s reply, she realizes the feelings are coming from her.

She’s feeling what Kimberly’s feeling.

_Kimberly Hart (1)._  
_Of course babe, I’ll stay with you at your place. too. Where am I picking you up from?_

Trini grins widely, realizes what Kimberly wants, has been wanting for the last two hours…

_Wendy’s. We can pick up where we left off last night…_

The feeling of lust and desire suddenly burns red hot throughout her body, and Trini finds herself gripping her seat, her heart pounding as Kimberly types out a reply.

_Kimberly Hart (1)._  
_I’ll be there in 5. Xx_

Trini hesitates, but finds she can’t help herself as she types out another reply, a wicked grin on her face. 

_Wow, me singing in Spanish really set you off, didn’t it? I’m feeling what you’re feeling and it’s…a lot._

Trini laughs as the three dots appear, then disappear, then appear…

_Kimberly Hart (1)._  
_Really? I’d say I’m sorry but I’m not._

Trini grins widely.

_Don’t be sorry, besides, I’ve got plenty more Spanish up my sleeve, mi amor…_

The feeling burns through her again, and Trini bites back a groan before clearing her throat and looking up at Diana and Bruce.

“Uh, Kimberly’s gonna come pick me up and take me back home, is that okay?”

“Of course. Is everything okay?” Diana asks with a frown.

“Yeah, just uh, her parents. Again.” Trini lies, and Diana raises an eyebrow at her.

“Hmm…you need to meet them soon, Trini. I’m sure once they get to know you they won’t be so upset about it all.” She says, observing Trini with suspicious eyes. Trini clears her throat.

“I know, I will. I’ll see you when you get home. Thanks again, Bruce. It’s good to see you.” She says hastily, jumping up from her seat.

“You too, Trini. Tell the other Rangers I said hi.” He says with a smile, and Trini nods once before pressing a kiss to Diana’s cheek, and Trini walks away, thinking she might have actually just fooled her mother, that she might have gotten away with it-

“I’ll message you when I’m on my way home!”

Dammit.

She totally knows.

Kimberly pulls up to Wendy’s literally five minutes later, and as soon as Trini gets in the car, Kimberly’s jumping her, kissing her deeply as Trini laughs breathlessly against her lips before pushing her off.

“Keep it in your pants, Kimmy, we have a house to ourselves, remember?” Kimberly sighs breathlessly, rests her forehead against Trini’s and clenches her jaw before nodding.

“Got it. Right.” 

Trini’s never seen Kimberly drive like this before, and she’s starting to think Kimberly’s car and her Zord are non-differential in Kimberly’s mind anymore, either that or she’s incredibly, incredibly turned on right now, as she drives with haste back to her house, and as soon as they pull up on the side of the street, Kimberly yanks the handbrake up and shoves the gear into park as Trini jumps out of the car as fast as she can despite her injuries, her body still healing even though she can move a lot more freely than yesterday.

She grabs Kimberly’s hand and dashes to the front door, and as soon as she opens it with the keys and dashes inside, Kimberly’s shoving her against the door and kissing her deeply, hands gripping her hair as she tugs on Trini’s lower lip.

“Do you have…any idea…how much torture…the last two hours have been?” She gasps out between kisses to the heated skin of Trini’s neck, and Trini gulps down air.

“I’ve been feeling it, niña bonita.” She breathes, and Kimberly groans as Trini laughs and pulls her back in for a kiss.

“Didn’t know Spanish set you off, Kimmy.” She says, a soft whine escaping her when Kimberly bites down on her collarbone gently.

“You speaking Spanish sets me off.” She mutters, and Trini laughs as Kimberly takes her hand and practically races up the stairs with her.

As soon as they’re in her room, Kimberly grips the bottom of Trini’s shirt and lifts it up and over her head, and Trini wraps her arms around Kimberly’s neck before Kimberly suddenly lifts her, wrapping her hands underneath her thighs and lifting her.

“Whoa!” Trini exclaims, and Kimberly laughs loudly, pressing a kiss to her neck as Trini wraps her legs around Kimberly’s waist, leaning her head down to kiss her deeply.

Kimberly presses a kiss to her collarbone before gently throwing her onto the bed, clambering on top of her as she takes off her own shirt, and Trini whines as Kimberly sucks the skin of her neck into her teeth, her hands roaming over her body, nails scratching down her stomach-

Trini gasps when she touches the scar above her bellybutton, and Kimberly freezes.

“Shit. Sorry.” She whispers.

“No, it’s okay. Doesn’t hurt. You just startled me.” Trini says hoarsely. Kimberly smiles, kisses her softly before Trini scratches her nails down her back. 

Kimberly shudders against her, gripping Trini’s hair in her fingers as Trini leans up and bites down on her shoulder.

“What else can you say in Spanish, I wonder…” Kimberly sing songs, and Trini looks at her with wide eyes.

“I speak it fluently.” She says with confusion, and Kimberly rolls her eyes.

“Billy’s the one who can’t get jokes and social cues sometimes, Trini, not you.” She teases, and before Trini can reply, she’s moving down her body, pressing a kiss between her breasts before Trini arches her back off the bed with a moan, and Kimberly takes the opportunity to unclasp her bra and pull it off her roughly.

“You’re not wasting time are you?” Trini breathes, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“Not after we got interrupted last night, no.” 

She kisses the skin between her breasts again before moving down, nipping the skin at her ribs with her teeth before kissing the scar on her stomach, and Trini smiles at the softness of her lips pressed against the white, bumpy skin, runs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair as she smiles up at her before moving back up and kissing her gently.

“I love you.” She whispers against her lips. 

“I love you.” Trini whispers back. Kimberly kisses her, the kiss growing more urgent by the second as her fingers fumble with the button on Trini’s jeans, and as soon as it’s loose, she moves down, lips trailing over Trini’s skin before she takes the zipper of her jeans between her teeth and pulls it down.

“Fuck me…” Trini groans, her head slamming back against the bed, and Kimberly laughs loudly.

“I’m trying, woman! There’s a lot of clothes in the way!” She says, and Trini laughs, but it dies quickly when Kimberly suddenly jumps off the bed, stands between her legs, and grabs her by her hips before tugging her forward to the edge of the bed, Trini’s breath hitching as she tugs her jeans down roughly.

As soon as they’re around her ankles, Trini kicks them off, and Kimberly does the same with her underwear, practically ripping it off her body before moving back down and kissing her stomach, and when she gets down on her knees at the edge of the bed, Trini groans, her back arching off the bed in anticipation.

“Kim...” She breathes out. Kimberly grins as she grabs Trini’s legs and hooks them over her shoulders.

“Hey, so what would my name be in Spanish?” She asks, pressing a kiss to the inside of her left thigh.

Trini groans and shakes her head.

“Fucking Kimberly, what else would it be?” She growls, and Kimberly’s eyes widen in mock surprise.

“’Fucking Kimberly’, wow, that’s different.”

“Kim-.”

“That’s not my name, thank you, my name is ‘Fucking Kimberly’, last I checked-.”

Trini surges up just as Kimberly drops her legs from around her shoulders, and she grabs Kimberly’s hair before kissing her harshly.

“Quieres que hable en español, entonces bien!” She growls, and Kimberly grins wickedly.

“Now that sounded hot.” She says with a raised eyebrow before kissing her and tugging on her bottom lip.

“I could’ve just cursed you out and you wouldn’t know.” Trini says, and Kimberly shakes her head with a grin.

“Don’t care. Lay back.” Kimberly says, bumping her forehead against Trini’s and Trini bites down on her lip before she lays flat on her back, looking up at the ceiling as Kimberly grabs her legs and hooks them over her shoulders again. 

She presses gentle kisses to her thighs before moving up to her hipbones, and Trini is on the verge of having a mental breakdown, her need growing stronger and stronger with each passing second that Kimberly keeps fucking teasing her-

When Kimberly finally, finally gives her what she wants, Trini grips the sheets between her fingers as a loud gasp escapes her, and Kimberly keeps her pinned to the mattress, pressing her down by her hips as Trini squirms underneath her. 

“Jesus Christ…”

“Now that’s a new name for me.” Kimberly says, grinning up at her widely, and Trini lets out a breathless laugh that turns into a whimper when Kimberly sets to work again.  
Trini tries her best to stay quiet, but it’s like Kimberly is trying her absolute best to draw out as many sounds from her as possible, going from fast to slow, from gentle to hard, and Trini is fucking losing her mind as she bites down on her bottom lip so hard that she draws blood-

Kimberly suddenly comes to a stop, and Trini almost wails as she looks up at Kimberly in anguish.

“Why?!”

“How do you say ‘faster’ in Spanish?” She asks with a wicked grin. Trini glares at her.

“Más rápido.” She says firmly, and Kimberly nods.

“Will do.” 

“I hate-.” She’s cut off when Kimberly ducks her head back down, and she groans and flops back down onto the bed, because there’s no way she’s winning this, it’s fucking over, it’s done, she’ll give her whatever she wants-

“And how do you say ‘harder’ in Spanish?” Kimberly says hoarsely, biting down on her hipbone and Trini’s back arches off the bed.

“Más fuerte!” She groans out through bared teeth, and Kimberly laughs.

“I fucking love this game.” 

It doesn’t take long at all before Trini feels her whole body tremble and her back arch off the bed before she’s crying out, and she hears something rip between her fingers, but can’t bring it in her to care as Kimberly pins her down to the mattress, gently bringing her down before she leaves Trini’s stomach littered with bruising kisses, sucking and biting the skin as Trini feels her body relax back down on the bed, feels the euphoria and the buzz begin to die down slowly as her cries turn into moans, and Kimberly smiles up at her softly, resting her head on Trini’s stomach as she runs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair gently.

“I’m gonna start speaking Spanish more often if it results in this.” Trini sighs tiredly. Kimberly laughs. 

“See, we can make sex fun with ‘Speak Spanish to me’ games.” She says with a grin and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Sex is already fun-oh, no.” Trini looks down at her sheets, sees the ripped sections as Kimberly laughs and pokes her finger through the ripped parts.

“Oops.”

“Ugh, I gotta change these. But first, we need to shower.” 

“Oh, what? You’re just gonna pillow princess me?” Kimberly says with a raised eyebrow, and Trini grins.

“What, you’ve never had shower sex before?”

-

Diana arrives home well past midnight, and as soon as she walks through the door, she pricks her ears out for the sound of Trini and Kimberly.

But when she’s met with only silence, she frowns and makes her way up the stairs cautiously, not wanting to walk in on anything she definitely does not want to walk in on, even though she had sent a message to Trini’s phone telling her she was on her way-

She knocks on Trini’s door, calls out her name before opening it gently, and she’s met with the sight of Trini and Kimberly fast asleep in bed, Trini with her arm wrapped around Kimberly’s waist and her face pressed into her back, and she smiles softly, makes her way to her own room and takes off her clothes in the bathroom before stepping into the shower.

As soon as she’s done, she shoves on pajama shorts and a tank top before making her way back to Trini’s room.

Trini’s lying on her back now, snoring lightly as Kimberly suddenly shifts and curls into her side, resting her head on Trini’s shoulder, and Diana makes her way over to them.

“Move over, little one.” She whispers, running her fingers through Trini’s hair, and Trini groans before she opens her eyes blearily, a frown on her face that turns into a smile.

“Hi…” She croaks out.

“Hi.” Diana smiles and presses a kiss to her forehead as Trini moves over slightly, and as she does, her shirt rides up, exposing her stomach slightly.

And Diana’s eyes fall on the bruises that litter her skin.

She freezes, looking at Trini in panic as she watches Diana with a frown.

“What-oh…” Trini blushes furiously as she looks down at her stomach to where Diana is looking, and she hitches her shirt down hastily before looking at Diana with a sheepish grin.

“Uh…” It hits Diana a second later what they’re from, and she rolls her eyes.

“Really?” 

“We had the house to ourselves…” Trini mumbles, and Diana scoffs.

“Unbelievable.” She hesitates in laying down on the bed now, eyeing it suspiciously and Trini laughs, clapping a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing too loudly as her whole body moves with the action.

“Can you not, they’re new sheets, woman! God!” She gasps out, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. 

“Oh thank god.” Diana sighs and curls up onto the bed beside her, and Trini laughs and shakes her head before she bites her lip in hesitation.

“I may…have ripped the other sheets though.” She says, her cheeks turning bright red as Diana raises an eyebrow.

“Hmm…” Is all she says, and Trini sighs.

“I’m sorry.” Diana shrugs.

“Don’t be. Sex is a very natural thing-.”

“Okay, I’m gonna stop you there.” Trini says, raising a finger, and Diana snaps her teeth at it teasingly.

“I was saying, sex is a very natural thing, but I do not want to hear about my daughter’s sex life, thank you. I’m just happy she’s doing it safely…and with someone she loves.” Diana finishes, and Trini smiles and nods once.

“I am.” Diana smiles back, looks over at Kimberly fast asleep before she taps Trini’s nose with her finger.

“Did you and Bruce have fun?” Trini asks, yawning tiredly, and Diana finds herself yawning as well as she nods.

“Mhmm…”

“No missions, right?”

“No missions…” Diana says tiredly, closing her eyes and snuggling up to her daughter, and Trini sighs happily.

“Good.” Diana laughs softly and presses a kiss to her hair.

“Sleep easily, little one. I’m not going anywhere any time soon.” And Diana hears Trini’s soft chuckle.

“Neither am I.” 

-

Trini stares down at the chasm that leads to the ship, her heart pounding in her chest as Kimberly steps beside her and takes her hand.

“Ready?” She whispers.

Trini nods once, looking at her with a sad smile.

The last time she was here, Rita had been the one to drag her here…

It feels like forever ago, but it’s only been a few days now, and Trini lets out a deep breath as she nods.

If she’s not ready now, she’ll never be.

“Ready.” 

Jason grips her shoulder, and Trini smiles softly at him as Zack and Billy both clap Jason’s back.

“Let’s do this.” Zack jumps off first, followed by Billy, and Jason gives Trini and Kimberly warm smiles before he jumps off after them.

Trini squeezes Kimberly’s hand, and then they’re both jumping at the same time.

As soon as they hit the water, Trini’s grip on Kimberly loosens, and she dives down into the water, not bothering to surface as she makes her way down to the ship, desperate to get out of the water…

They all manage to land gracefully once they reach the ceiling, Trini stumbling slightly as her back flares with pain, and Kimberly reaches out to grip her, but Trini bares her teeth and shakes her head, holds a hand up to stop her.

“I’ve got it.” She stands up straight, ignoring the pain before they all make their way to the entrance of the ship.

As soon as they walk through, Alpha 5 makes his way toward them, holding his arms out for them and cheering as he does.

“Rangers! We’ve been wondering where you’ve been for days now! We know you guys needed some time to heal-.”

“We did. Trini died out there, Alpha.” Jason says simply, and Alpha 5 sighs as his eyes move behind Jason to Trini.

“And I’ve never been happier that you all have healing powers. How are you?” He asks Trini softly, and she smiles.

“I’m doing a lot better. I’m sorry about what I did to you-.”

“Nonsense! That was Rita, we both know it. Now come. Zordon is anxious to see you.” 

Trini nods once, and Jason turns to look at her.

“I know you’ve got questions…you can talk first if you want. We can talk to him about the other thing later.” Trini smiles fondly, grips Jason’s hand tightly.

“Thank you.” He smiles, brings her head up to press a kiss to her knuckles before they all make their way toward the center of the ship.

As soon as they arrive, Zordon’s face lights up on the wall, and he blinks rapidly, looking at all of them intently.

“Rangers.” He says simply. Jason exchanges a look with Trini, and she steps forward, taking a deep breath in as she does.

“Rita’s body. Where is it?” She asks. Zordon blinks before looking at Alpha.

“We’ve stored it in the ship. We plan on giving her a traditional burial.”

“Traditional burial?” Kimberly asks.

“A custom for our people. She may have betrayed us, but she was one of us at the end of the day. To bury her unceremoniously would be shameful.”

Kimberly grumbles behind her, and Trini shakes her head.

“You told me Alpha found nothing in my mind when he scanned it for Rita, but she was there all along. Why didn’t he find her?” Trini asks. Zordon sighs and looks at her gravely.

“I’m sorry, Trini. The mental link that Rangers share didn’t even cross my mind. It doesn’t show up in any scans, it’s something personal between Rangers, a bond that can’t be exposed to other eyes. I thought that because none of you were showing signs of the link, it would be impossible for Rita to connect to you.”

“Well, she did…she could hurt me as well. Whenever she attacked me, I’d end up with marks. Is that part of the mental link?” 

“Yes. Rangers are able to touch each other through the mental link. It’s almost like having the person you’re connected to right beside you, except that no one else can see them. The link is personal, a bond that can only be felt between Rangers.” 

“And possession? That part of it, too?” Trini says, clenching her fist. Zordon sighs, bows his head.

“No…That must have been Rita using her ability to work her way inside people’s minds, make them do what she wanted. The mental link must have allowed her access to do so. It is something we always begged her not to use, but one she relished in. If you had fought her for much longer, she would have gained full control.”

“That’s comforting.” Kimberly says harshly, and Jason glares up at Zordon.

“You should’ve warned us about this, about her. Then we could’ve been more prepared.”

“I never thought it would happen, Jason. I believed Rita was gone for good, just like the rest of you.” Zordon says calmly, and Trini shakes her head.

“My coin. It turned green. Rita told me it was part of the mental link, that I was losing energy and I felt weak all the time because of it.” She asks. Zordon shakes his head.

“No. That was Rita’s mind control, she lied. I’ve seen it happen to other Rangers, watched their coins turn green, infested with her like a disease…” He growls, and Trini glares up at him.

“So now there’s not only one liar, but two. Who the hell am I supposed to believe?” She says angrily, and Zordon looks at her in shock.

‘Trini, I-.”

“She told me what you did! All she did was give the idea that you could use the Zeo Crystal to bring your people back, and you cast her out because of it! She was scared, and alone, and she wanted her people back, and you wouldn’t even hear her out!” Trini yells. She can feel the others watching her in shock, and Zordon’s eyes are wide as he observes her.

“How do you know this?” He whispers. Trini glares at him.

“I felt it. When she was telling me about what you did, I felt her sadness, her anger. Look, I don’t agree with anything she did and frankly, I’m glad she’s dead! But that doesn’t erase the fact that you were her friend, you were her leader, and you left her behind. Jason has never, ever made me feel like any of my ideas are worth throwing me out and abandoning me for! You made her what she is, you made her like this! Everything she’s done is because of you!” Trini hisses, and Zordon bows his head, looks at Alpha, who also bows his head in shame.

It’s silent for a while before Zordon finally speaks up, his voice grave. 

“What happened with Rita…it was a mistake. I made the wrong choice. Instead of talking with her in a civil manner, instead of addressing the issue, I…I turned her away. And her rage only grew stronger every time I denied her a chance to speak. I made a mistake…and it cost me my team, my family, my own life…I can never take it back, Trini, but I can spend the rest of eternity being punished for it by living in this wall as nothing more than a memory.” 

They’re all silent, all of them taking in Zordon’s words, and Trini still can’t bring it in her to look at him.

She was tortured, abused, treated like dirt by a woman who was scorned by his bad decisions.

Eternity in a wall with no body isn’t a good enough punishment in her books.

“You should’ve told us the truth about Rita from the start. But we can’t change the past. All we can do is move on. Which is exactly why we’re here.” Jason says before turning to look up at Zordon with his head held high.

“Ever since the attack, the town has been restless, and people are starting to get mad. They’re wondering where we are, why we’re here, and what we’re doing. I want to address them, to reassure them that we’re not here to harm them, but to keep them safe. And I can’t do that if we can’t talk to them. So I’m asking you…can we talk to them as the Rangers and let them know we’re only here to protect them?” Jason says loudly.  
Zordon stares at him for a long time.

And then finally-

“No.” 

It’s the only word he says, but it reverberates through all of them like a bell echoing in a church.

“What? W-Why?” Zack says in shock. 

“I told you the rules. No one can know of your identities-.”

“They won’t know who we are underneath the masks, they’ll just know that we’re the Rangers-.” Billy starts.

“It’s too dangerous!” Zordon yells, interrupting him, and when Billy winces, Jason glares up at Zordon, his fists clenched angrily.

“You can’t forbid us from doing it! Diana was right, you don’t control us! We’re the Power Rangers, not you! This is my team, and this is our decision! We all want this, so as the leader, I say we’re doing it! If you don’t agree, then we can train to be Power Rangers on our own without your help!” He shouts, the veins in his neck suddenly pulsating in his anger.

“Jason, you don’t know what you’re doing-.”

“And you do? You existed over sixty five million years ago! You don’t know humanity like we do! If they don’t hear us, if we stay silent, their hatred will only grow!” Kimberly exclaims. 

“I’m forbidding you from doing this. Jason, see reason-.”

“Like I said, you don’t control us. This is my team, and we make decisions together. I’m not going to be the Red Ranger you were, deciding what’s right and wrong! The team wants to do this, so I say we do it.” Jason says firmly, and Zordon simply stares at all of them, eyes wide as Jason turns to the others.

“Let’s morph.” He says simply.

“You wanna do this now?” Zack asks in shock.

“No better time than the present.” Billy says, and Jason nods at him.

“Right. Let’s do it.” They all nod once as Jason closes his eyes, clenches his fists and focuses his energy on his armor, and they’re all about to follow suite when there’s suddenly a small spark as the red armor takes over his body-

And just as quickly as it appears, it fades. 

They all stop, all of them looking as Jason blinks, looks down at his body in shock before looking up at Zordon angrily.

“Why did you stop me?” He growls.

“I didn’t.” Zordon says calmly. 

“You-.”

“Jason, I can assure you, that wasn’t us.” Alpha 5 says suddenly, and Jason looks at him in shock.

“Then what’s the problem?” He says in confusion.

“Are you having trouble morphing?” Trini says, walking forward, and Jason shakes his head.

“No, they’re stopping me, they must be!” He exclaims, pointing at Zordon and Alpha 5.

“We’re not doing anything, Jason!” Alpha 5 says, raising his hands in innocence, and Jason shakes his head, looks down at his hands as he clenches and unclenches them.

“What’s wrong with me?” He whispers. 

“Guys, I can’t morph, either.” Zack says, looking at each of them with wide eyes. Trini suddenly pours all her energy into trying to bring her armor up, and she feels the Power Coin buzz in her pocket, feels the spark on her chest but then-

Nothing.

“What the hell?” She whispers, looking down at her hands, and she looks at Kimberly and Billy to see the same thing happening to them. 

“Why can’t we morph?” Kimberly yells, looking up at Zordon, and before he can answer, Alpha 5 suddenly moves toward them.

“You guys know how Billy’s death helped bring you guys together? Helped you morph for the first time?” He says, and they all nod as Alpha 5 suddenly sighs and looks up at Zordon.

“Well, sometimes…sometimes the death of a Ranger can have the opposite effect.” He says softly.

Trini’s heart falls.

“We…we can’t morph because I died?” She chokes out, and Zordon sighs.

“No, Trini. You can’t morph because none of you have talked properly about what happened, none of you have addressed the issue. You lost one of your own. It still weighs heavy on all of you. In order to be Rangers, in order to morph…you need to be free of the ties that bind you.” He says gently. 

All of Trini’s anger suddenly dissipates, replaced with grief as Jason looks up at them with tear filled eyes.

“I…”

“Bonfire.” Zack says suddenly. They all look at him, and Zack sighs and nods once with a sad smile.

“It’s how we bonded the first time. Let’s do it again. Let’s finally talk about this, about Trini dying and Rita coming back…we can’t keep ignoring it and expecting to just get over it. That’s not how we heal properly.” He says, and Trini sighs.

“He’s right.” She says simply.

“Go…all of you. We can discuss this in the morning, but right now…you need to discuss what’s on your minds…and in your hearts.” Zordon says.

“I…I’m still-I want to still talk to the town people, Zordon-.” Jason manages to get out, but Zordon interrupts him.

“It can wait until the morning. Go, Jason. Your team needs this.” 

-

Trini watches the fire burn, feels the grief and frustration inside her burning as hard and as fast as the fire in front of her, and Kimberly grips her hand, forces her to unclench her hand before interlacing their fingers.

Jason’s still trying to morph, watching his armor begin to spark over his body before fading, and he growls in frustration, kicking a rock and yelling loudly after his eighth attempt.

Trini sighs, grabs her phone and quickly calls Diana as Kimberly sighs and rests her head against her shoulder.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Mom. Listen…we’re having a bonfire, me and the other Rangers, and I think we’re gonna stay the night out here.”

“Why, what’s wrong?” Diana asks immediately, and Trini sighs.

“We’re all having trouble morphing and…Zordon told us we should take the time to talk about what happened when I…you know…” She trails off. 

Diana sighs.

“Do you want me to come join you?”

“No, we’re okay. I think this is a Rangers only kind of thing. But don’t worry, Zack’s got sleeping bags and snacks and stuff. I’ll call you if we need you, though.” 

“Of course…I hope you guys figure this out.”

“I hope so, too.” Trini says with a deep sigh.

“Remember, if anything happens at all-.”

“I’ll call. I promise. I love you.”

“I love you too, little one.” Trini ends the call, and Kimberly leans up and presses a kiss to her cheek.

“We gotta help Jason.”

“I know. Come on.” Kimberly squeezes her hand as Trini stands and leads them over to Jason, who growls in frustration, sweat dripping down his face as his tenth attempt at morphing fails.

“Jason, come on, man. It’s not gonna happen. We’ve gotta talk this shit out.” Jason looks up at him with tears in his eyes as he shakes his head.

“I just…I don’t want to talk about it.” He says through gritted teeth.

“Jason…” Trini walks over to him, takes his hand in her own, and Jason looks at her for a long time before he suddenly sniffs and wipes his tears from his eyes.

“Alright.” He whispers. Trini nods once, leads him over to a rock and sits him down against it before sitting beside him, and the others form a circle next to them, all of them still huddled close to the fire for warmth as Jason hugs his knees. 

“I’ve…I’ve been feeling like shit ever since we lost Trini. I just…I don’t feel worthy of being the Red Ranger anymore.”

“What? Jason, dude, that’s crazy-.” Zack starts, but Jason shakes his head again.

“Is it? Two Rangers have died on my watch, first Billy, then Trini, and yeah, we got them back through sheer dumb luck, but every decision I’ve made has led to chaos! I’m not…I’m not worthy of being the leader of this team. I keep screwing up, I keep failing you guys-.”

“Jason, stop.” Trini says firmly. His bottom lip trembles as he looks up at her, and Trini pulls him to her, wrapping her arms around his neck as she sits up on her knees and hugging him tightly. Jason wraps his arms around her waist and buries his head into her shoulder with a sob.

“I don’t blame you. Not even a little bit. Jason, you’re not responsible for what happened.” Trini whispers.

“I know you don’t blame me, Trin. I blame myself.” He whispers back. 

“No…you couldn’t have stopped her, Jason.” Trini says, pulling back from him. He runs a hand through her hair before he suddenly leans down and presses his forehead against hers.

“We lost you, Trini. You have no idea what it felt like, seeing you dead with no hope of bringing you back. It’s my fault…”

“Shh…” Trini hugs him once more, running her fingers through his short hair as he cries into her shoulder, and it isn’t long before the others join the hug, all of them shuffling forward on their knees, all three of them hugging Jason and Trini tightly.

“I think…it’s about time we talked about how we feel.” Kimberly says hoarsely, her voice thick with emotion. Trini nods once before she pulls away from Jason and looks at the others.

“It’s time we talked about what happened.” She says, and the others exchange glances before they’re all nodding.

“Alright.”

They all huddle closer, and Trini looks at each of them.

“Rita started to kind of take over about a day or two before Kimberly left. She started popping up in my dreams, so I started staying awake, and then…and then she showed up in the ship one day when we were training. And I knew then that something was wrong, but I was so scared to say anything because I was worried about what she could do. Guys, she…I tried to ignore her and she ended up taking complete control over my body. When I came to, I was in Diana’s room with a knife in my hands.” Kimberly gasps, and Jason and Billy look at her in shock as Zack lets out a low growl.

“She tortured me for weeks, but I didn’t relent. I told myself that I could outlast her, outwit her, but when Kimberly came back, and she was telling me that her parents found out about us, everything just crumbled. I lost my fight for two seconds, and she took advantage. And I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I should’ve fought, I should’ve kept fighting-.”

“No, Trini, you…you heard Zordon, if you kept fighting, god knows what she would have done to you.” Kimberly whispers, gripping her hand. Trini looks up at her with tear filled eyes.

“But I brought her back. I b-brought her back here-.”

“She forced you to. None of us blame you for what happened, Trini. At all.” Billy says, and Zack shakes his head.

“No way, crazy girl. I just…I’m sorry we didn’t see it. We knew something was wrong but we didn’t even think-.”

“Of course not. Never in a million years would I have thought it was Rita.” Jason says. Trini sighs.

“It was…” 

They’re silent for a while, and Trini shakes her head and wipes her tears away before looking up at Jason. 

“Jason…you feel like you’re not worthy of being the Red Ranger anymore, that because you lost me and Billy, you shouldn’t be the leader of this team, right?” Jason nods, and Trini shakes her head, standing as she throws a stick into the fire.

“Fuck that. You have no idea how much we need you at the forefront of this team. Jason, you as the leader, that’s the reason why we keep winning. You push us, you motivate us to be better, to work harder, and to keep striving to save the world over and over again. If we didn’t have you, god only knows where we’d be right now. All of us would be dead.”

“Big time.” Zack says with a grin.

“She’s right, Jase. You’re the leader of this team for a reason. Because you’ve got the level head, and you’re the center of this group. Screw Zordon and all his crap, you’re our leader, and at the end of the day, you’re the person I walk into battle with, not him.” Kimberly says firmly.

“I second that. I don’t care what Zordon says or thinks, man, you saved my life many times over. You’re my best friend, Jason. The only leader I’ve ever seen that I know has my back in the battlefield no matter what. I don’t wanna lose that.” Billy says. Jason smiles softly at him, and Zack suddenly shuffles over and claps a hand on his shoulder.

“You get on my nerves sometimes with your leader crap, I won’t lie, but at the end of the day, there’s no one better to put my ass back in line. You’re the top dog, bro. No one can replace you. So don’t you even think about abandoning us.” 

Jason takes a deep breath in and looks at all of them before resting his hand over Zack’s on his shoulder.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He whispers. 

Zack grins, squeezes his shoulder before looking up at the others before his eyes finally rest on Trini.

“I was doing so well, you know. Mom’s been doing great thanks to Diana giving me the money to pay for her medication, I’ve got you guys, and everything…everything was going so well. But then losing you, crazy girl…it rattled us all. I don’t think you realize how integral to the team you are as well.” He says gently, and Trini blinks in shock.

“What? No-.”

“Don’t even. You’re the one always pulling us back together whenever we feel down. You’re our strength, Trini. Out in the battlefield, in everyday life, you’re the one who always makes us feel like a family. Without you…I don’t even wanna think about it. We got so close to it, it hurts just thinking about it.” Billy says, shaking his head as tears well in his eyes. 

“I can’t think about it.” Kimberly says hoarsely, and Trini looks at her with sad eyes as Kimberly swallows the lump in her throat, tears falling down her face before she can stop them. Trini lets out a shaky breath before she looks at Billy, her eyes filled with grief.

“I’ve…I’ve been trying to come to terms with dying. I feel like I’m in someone else’s body. Like I died and the body I entered when I came back isn’t my own. Did you feel like that?” She whispers.

And she’s surprised when Billy nods.

“Yeah. I felt like something inside me had changed. Like I was a different soul that was inhabiting a different body. I didn’t feel…normal. I felt tainted.” He says simply.

“When…when did that go away?” Trini asks, her voice breaking as she tries to keep her emotions together.

And Billy shakes his head, casts his eyes to the fire as his expression turns blank.

“I’ll let you know.” He says weakly, and Trini whimpers, purses her lips as Kimberly shuffles behind her until her legs are on either side of Trini’s body, her arms wrapping around her waist as she presses a kiss to her hair. 

“But we’re gonna be okay, Trini. I believe that. I believe that even though we died, we were brought back because we were meant to be here. No matter what, dying wasn’t our destiny. Not yet. And I think that the stronger we are as a unit, the less likely something like that will happen again. Rita killed me to get to you guys, and she killed you to break us down as well, Trini. But we came back stronger every single time. She can’t break us. No one can.”

“We’re a family.” Jason says firmly, and Zack nods once, Kimberly pressing another kiss to Trini’s hair as she looks up at them.

“I left for two weeks and when I came back everything fell apart. But look at us, we’re here aren’t we? We got through it, we’re…we’re all alive. And maybe…fuck, maybe one day that won’t be the case, but right now it is, and we need to stop dwelling in what if’s and maybes. We’re all alive, we’re all together, we’re the strongest we’ve ever been. We’re a unit, a team. No more fear, no more anguish over what almost happened. Together we are more.” Kimberly says, resting her head on Trini’s shoulder. Trini nods, smiles at her before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Together we are more.” She repeats.

“Together we are more.” Zack and Billy echo, and Jason looks at each of them, a smile lighting up his face as his blue eyes shine in the firelight.

“Together we are more.” He says hoarsely. Trini sighs.

“My mom…she said something to me…about how sometimes she asks why, why she’s here. But that all she needs to do is just close her eyes, look to the sky, breathe, and realize that it doesn’t matter why she’s here, only that she is.” Trini lets out a shaky breath, tightens her grip on Kimberly’s thigh and nods. 

“I know that we’re Power Rangers, and our mission is to protect the Zeo Crystal, but I think that sometimes we just need to…be. We just need to stop worrying about what matters and what we’re here to do, and just realize that despite our purpose, despite our destinies…we’re here. And all that matters is that we’re here.”

“And that we have each other.” Zack says, and Trini smiles up at him, nods furiously.

“And that we have each other.” She echoes. 

Billy grins widely before he suddenly stands and strikes his fist out, looking at the others before waving them forward, and Zack laughs before he jumps up and slams his hand on top of Billy’s fist.

Trini wipes away her tears with a chuckle and stands, rests her hand on top of Zack’s before Kimberly jumps in beside her and lays her hand on top of Trini’s. 

And Jason smiles before he walks over and places his hand on top of Kimberly’s.

“Family?” He asks, and they all nod.

“Family.” They echo.

“Go, go Power Rangers!” Zack crows, and as Billy lifts their hands into the air, Zack begins dancing, pointing at Kimberly as he does.

“Come on, give us a cheer, Kimberly!”

“No way.” She says simply, hugging Trini from behind and pressing a kiss to the back of her head as Zack pouts.

“You’re no fun!” 

-

The sun just breaks over the horizon when Trini wakes up the next morning, curled underneath a sleeping bag with Kimberly curled up right beside her, her chest pressed against Trini’s back and her arm looped around Trini’s waist.

She yawns, rubs the sleep from her eyes as her head pounds, and she groans, turning over in the bag and curling up into Kimberly’s chest, pressing a kiss to her collarbone as Kimberly shifts suddenly.

“Morning.” She yawns out. Trini cuddles up to her again, and looks up at her in surprise when she groans.

“Ugh, my head hurts. Why? We didn’t drink last night, did we?” Kimberly says, looking down at Trini, and she shakes her head.

“No, we didn’t. I remember everything.” She says, smiling fondly at the memories of the previous night.

After their little bonding session, the Rangers had literally played games and had jumped around chasing each other for hours, all of them simply enjoying each other’s company for the first time in a long time. Trini’s pretty sure it was one of the best nights of her life, as the memories piece together in her mind. Jason piggybacking her and running away from Zack, or how Billy had told them all a scary story his father used to tell him when he was young to get him not to go wandering off on his own, a story that had Trini shifting closer to Kimberly as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend protectively. Or when Zack had followed it up with a story his mother told him as a child, one about dragons and the great warriors that fought them…Trini even remembers telling them some of the stories Diana told her about the Amazons and their battles, and how Zeus had created them with the hope of them being the bridge to a greater understanding…

“Maybe it’s all the smoke from the fire.” Trini says, looking up at the now smoldering bonfire, the ashes still slightly red as Kimberly nods and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Maybe-.”

“Who’s kissing me?!” They jump as Zack suddenly jumps up from his sleeping bag, his eyes wide and his arms raised in fists as Billy and Jason both grumble and sit up from their sleeping bags.

“Dude, what?” Jason yawns.

“Someone just kissed my forehead! I felt it!” Zack exclaims, and Trini’s eyes almost bulge out of their sockets.

“Kimberly just kissed my forehead, you doofus.” She says, but she looks at Kimberly with wide eyes as Kimberly looks at Zack in shock.

“Then why the hell am I feeling it?” Zack says, jumping up from his sleeping bag and walking over to them. Trini turns to Kimberly.

“Sorry.”

“For what-?” Trini pinches the skin on her arm, and Kimberly jumps up before slapping her hand away.

“OW!” She yells, and Trini turns in shock when Jason yells it at the same time, clutching his arm in the same spot Trini pinched Kimberly.

“Okay, what the fuck is going on?” Zack yells, looking between all of them. Jason stands and makes his way over to Zack, his leg kicking out and tapping Zack’s thigh, and Zack glares up at him as Billy cries out.

“Ow! I felt that!” He says excitedly, jumping up and rubbing his thigh at the same time Zack rubs his.

Trini starts to realize what’s going on, and she jumps up, looking at all of them breathlessly.

“Uh…I think we just formed a mental link.” 

“A what?”

“The thing Rita had with me! But…it’s us five.” She says, looking at all of them with a grin, and Jason’s eyes widen.

“Wait, seriously? But…how?” 

“I have no idea!” Trini says, laughing breathlessly in disbelief as Jason shakes his head.

“Okay no, we-we gotta go talk to Zordon-.”

“Okay yeah, I second that.” Trini says, and Kimberly nods furiously.

“Uh huh.”

“What are we waiting for then? Let’s go!” Zack says, and all five of them stand and make their way toward the Cliff where the chasm is, not far from where they usually set up their bonfire.

Trini pulls out the zip lock bag, lets everyone put their phones in it before closing it tightly and shoving it back into her bag, and then she dives down, hears the other four splash down beside her before she surfaces, the other four following suite.

It’s then that Trini notices a yellow glow around her body, and she gasps.

“Uh, guys?” They all look, and Trini looks at Kimberly to see a pink glow around her, a blue glow around Billy, a red glow around Jason and a black glow around Zack.

“This happened when we first became Rangers.” Jason says, looking at them in shock.

“Come on, let’s go!” Trini says, and she dives down, the others following her quickly.

As soon as they reach the ship, Trini runs up the stairs and through the entrance, which opens for her immediately, before she makes her way to the center of the ship.

“Zordon! We need to speak with you!” She shouts as soon as she descends the stairs and stands beside the morphing grid, and Trini watches the wall light up before Alpha 5 makes his way toward them.

“You guys have bonded! The morphing grid was going crazy the whole night!” Alpha 5 says excitedly.

“What? Zordon, what’s going on?” Jason asks, and Trini is beyond baffled to see that Zordon is looking down at them almost proudly.

“What’s going on is that you’ve all managed to do within a few months what my team and I took years to accomplish. You’ve formed a bond between the five of you, an unbreakable, inseparable bond that will keep you all together as Rangers for the rest of your lives.” 

They all look at him in silence.

“Uh…what?” Zack says again, and Zordon laughs.

“The five of you share a bond that nothing can break. Something that bonds the five of you together, and do you know what it is?” 

They all shake their heads, and Zordon smiles.

“Your love for each other. It took my team and I years to form this strong of a bond, but the five of you…you care for each other deeply.” Zordon says softly, and Jason blinks in shock, as if this news isn’t definitely not something new.

Which it’s not.

“Well yeah, but…we’ve felt this way for months-.”

“Have you really?” Zordon says, and the five of them look at each other.

Last night had been a mixture of emotions, and Trini has never, ever, felt what she felt last night. 

These four weren’t just her friends, they were her family. When she thinks of Kimberly, of Jason, of Zack and Billy, the same feelings she has when she thinks about Diana course through her.

Warmth, light, gratitude, euphoria, and above all else, pure, irrevocable and unconditional love.

“Last night, we all talked for the first time in, well…ever. And I think we finally came to an understanding between all of us. We bonded.” Jason says, smiling at each of them happily. 

“We’ve always said that we’d die for each other, and we’ve meant it, but…I’m not only willing to die for these guys anymore. I’m willing to live for them, too.” Billy says, and Trini grins, walks over and grabs his hand, squeezing it tightly before Billy puts an arm around her shoulder with a grin. 

Zordon watches them all, and to their surprise, he suddenly sighs.

“I know that yesterday, things were sad that were…cruel and unfair. But you were right. This is not my team. And I am not in control. All I can give you is my wisdom and my knowledge of what it means to be a Power Ranger. But how you choose to be one…that is up to you.” 

Kimberly grips Trini’s other hand, and Billy reaches out and grabs Jason’s hand before Jason reaches out for Zack’s.

The five of them. United.

As one.

“Thank you, Zordon.” Jason whispers. Zordon simply bows his head.

“Now go. Do what you wanted to do yesterday, what I so foolishly stopped you from doing. This is not my choice to make. It is yours.” 

They nod once, and Jason suddenly jumps.

“Whoa.”

“What?” Billy asks, and then Trini sees it.

A spark that starts in his chest before his red armor begins to form over his body, and he looks up at them with a grin as Trini suddenly feels her own chest spark, and she looks down with a grin as her armor begins to form over her body as well.

She looks up just as her visor forms over her face, and Zack, Billy and Jason have fully morphed, all of them cheering and high fiving each other as Trini looks to Kimberly, sees her visor just forming over her face.

Trini pulls her visor back and smiles at her, and Kimberly pulls her own visor back and grins before leaning in and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Jason! We doing this or what?” Zack says, jumping up and down, and Jason grins and claps his hands.

“Let’s do it!” 

-

_Light of my life (1)._  
_Turn on the news! We’re about to be on it!_

Diana scans the message once with a frown before she grabs quickly turns off the stove, stirring the pot full of beef once more before wiping her hands on her apron and making her way to the living room.

She turns it onto the news channel, scans for any news about the Power Rangers, but only sees a woman covering the completely decimated Krispy Kreme.

_“And as you can see here, Jeff, the Krispy Kreme was destroyed once again by the ‘Second Encounter’, weeks away from a re-opening, halfway toward being completely rebuilt and-wait…wait a minute…Reece! Reece, turn the camera! NOW!”_

The woman points to something off camera hastily, her excitement shining in her eyes as the camera man turns and focuses the camera on something in the distance.

And Diana grins widely when she sees five figures in suits of armor colored red, pink, blue, black and yellow walking toward the camera man and the woman, all of them in sync as they walk down the empty and blocked off street.

_“It’s them! It’s the Power Rangers! Come on, Reece!”_

The woman runs as fast as her heels will take her, coming to a stop in front of the Power Rangers, effectively cutting off them off from moving further.

Diana sees all their visors are up, hiding their faces from view, and she can’t help but lay her eyes on Trini, looking strong with her hands on her hips as she watches the news reporter come to a stop in front of them.

_“Power Rangers, we’ve been waiting for you guys to reappear for days and I have to say, it’s good to see you! I have to ask…who are you guys? Where did you come from? Are…are you from this planet?”_

The woman’s excitement is evident as she holds the microphone up to Red Ranger’s face, obviously assuming he is the leader as he is in the front and middle of the group.

Jason clears his throat before he begins talking. 

_“We understand that the people of Angel Grove are scared and confused. We know that you’re all wondering where these attacks are coming from and why they keep happening here, in this town. I can’t give you all the answers you want, but I can at least give you some.”_

Jason looks at the other Rangers, and they nod in encouragement before he plows on.

_“Angel Grove is not only home to some of the best residents in the United States, but is also home to something special. Something special that resides deep within its walls underground.”_

The woman looks at the camera in confusion before looking back at Jason.

_“What is it?”_

She asks, but Jason shakes his head.

_“That, I can’t tell you. But what I can tell you is that we, The Power Rangers, are here to protect it, and all of you, from harm. It’s our sworn and sacred duty to protect it. I know that a few days ago…a few days ago some lives were lost. And truth be told, we almost lost one of our own. We came close to becoming a group of four, and we’ve been trying to come to terms with that. But now that we have, we promise you, that no matter what, all of us are willing to do whatever it takes, even die, to keep this town and what it holds safe. All we ask is that you never give up hope, never give up on us, and always believe in the Power Rangers. Through your hope, your faith in us, we’ll have all the strength we need to fight whatever comes our way.”_

The woman looks on in awe before she suddenly shakes her head.

_“Well that’s great, but you still haven’t answered my question. Who are the Power Rangers?”_

Jason chuckles, looks at the others before looking back at the reporter.

_“Some of the best secrets are left untold. Besides, no one knows who Wonder Woman is, right?”_

Diana laughs loudly, can’t help herself as Jason gives a thumbs up to the camera before he turns and begins walking away, the others following him, and Diana only laughs louder when Zack suddenly turns and waves at the camera before jumping up in the air and stepping back in line.

The camera stays on them until the five of them suddenly begin running, disappearing in a blur of red, pink, blue, black and yellow, and the reporter cheers loudly before she tells the camera man to point the camera back at her.

_“Well, you saw it here first, exclusively! The Power Rangers just addressed the town of Angel Grove, and they are…whew, they are something else!”_

Diana watches with prideful tears in her eyes as the phone calls suddenly begin pouring in to the news station, people calling and telling them that they support the Power Rangers, that they believe in them, that they understand now what they’re trying to do, to protect-

Diana hears a loud bang, and she jumps up and looks to the front door to see all five of the Rangers piling in, no longer in their armor as they cheer and hug each other tightly, and Diana makes her way toward them with a grin on her face.

“That was amazing!” She cheers, opening her arms up, and Trini barrels into her, hugging her tightly as the others eventually run into Diana’s arms as well, and she chuckles and hugs them all tightly.

“You were so good! There’s people calling the news station every minute saying they support you guys!” Diana says, looking down at them with a grin.

“Really?!” Zack says, looking at her in shock, and she nods toward the living room.

“Go see for yourself!” The others cheer and run into the living room, and Trini stays in Diana’s arms, grinning at the others as they run.

“You don’t want to go with them?” Diana asks, and Trini shrugs, hugs her closer.

“I can feel them twenty-four seven now, anyway.” Diana blinks in confusion, looks down at her with a frown and Trini smiles.

“You know how Rita had that mental link with me?” She says, and Diana bares her teeth, anger flooding through her before she nods.

“Yes.” She hisses, and Trini shakes her head.

“Not with her. With them now. We bonded last night and when we woke up…we could all feel each other. It’s weird, it’s like…it’s like a radio frequency at the back of my head. Like there’s four dials that just need to be turned and tuned properly…”

“Like a buzz?”

“More like static.” Trini says, and Diana raises an eyebrow.

“How strange.”

“Mmm…but it’s good. It’s gonna help us in the long run, I think.” Trini says, and Diana smiles as Zack cheers loudly from the living room.

“HE JUST SAID THE BLACK RANGER IS HIS FAVORITE, YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT?!” 

Diana shakes her head and looks at Trini with a warm smile.

“I really did adopt four other kids, didn’t I?” Trini laughs loudly, nods once.

“Yup. Sorry mom.”

“Ah, the more the merrier. Come on, I’m making tacos.”

The rest of the day is spent in celebration, all of them eating tacos as Trini plays Spanish music from her phone, and as soon as they’re done eating, she surprises everyone by grabbing Diana.

“Dance time!” She cheers, and Diana laughs before spinning her around and pulling her close, dancing with her around the room with ease in a merengue style of dance, and Kimberly suddenly jumps up and holds a hand out to Billy.

“Come on!” And Billy laughs and grabs her hand, surprises everyone when he dips Kimberly before dancing with her almost expertly.

“Whoa, Billy! What?!” She exclaims, and Billy grins at her.

“My mom loves dancing!” He says, and Trini smiles warmly at him before Diana calls out to Billy and Kimberly.

“Swap?” She calls out, and Billy grins before Diana spins Trini away from her at the same time that Billy spins Kimberly away from him, and Trini grabs Kimberly’s hand and pulls her close as Diana moves to Billy and begins dancing with him.

“I’m dancing with Wonder Woman!” Billy cheers, and they all laugh loudly as Diana yells out as well.

“I’m dancing with the Blue Power Ranger!” She cheers, and Billy nods his head furiously.

“Yes, you are!” Trini laughs, spins Kimberly around before Kimberly dips her, and suddenly Zack jumps up from the table and holds his hand out for Jason.

“Come on! I need my romantic evening with my leader!” He says, his tone aloof as Jason stands and slaps the back of his head before taking his hand.

“Shut up Zack.” He says with a laugh, but then Zack pulls him in close and dances with him, barely even doing a dance, just jumping around the spot as Jason does the same, and Trini boos them.

“What kinda dancing is that?!” She yells over Kimberly’s shoulder, and Zack gives her the middle finger.

“It’s called Taylor and Scott’s ‘we can’t dance and he’s a white boy so he definitely can’t dance’ dance, alright?” Zack yells.

Trini ends up dancing with all of them, Zack simply spinning her around a bunch of times before she moves to Jason and laughs as he almost steps on her foot, and she walks him through the steps before he’s eventually gripping her and dancing with her slowly, his brow furrowed in concentration as he does the steps.

When they finally decide they’ve had enough and Trini turns off the music from her phone, Zack pants breathlessly, resting his hands on his knees and clutching a stitch in his side.

“Jeez, screw training, you just gotta dance for a good half hour and you’ll be ripped!” He gasps out, and Diana pats his back.

“Either that, or you’re just not fit, Zack Taylor.”

Zack’s eyes widen and he straightens up.

“What? I am fit! I’m a Power Ranger!” He says, puffing out his chest, and Diana playfully raises her fists.

“Oh yeah?” She teases, and Zack raises his hands in surrender.

“Alright, nuh uh, even I’m not stupid enough to take on Wonder Woman.” 

The Rangers don’t disband until well into the night, all of them still on a drunk high of celebration as the news continues to flash the headline that makes them all beam with pride.

_POWER RANGERS OFFICIAL STATEMENT: “NEVER GIVE UP ON US. ALWAYS BELIEVE IN THE POWER RANGERS.”_

To Trini’s surprise, even Kimberly decides to head home, and her smile falters for the first time in hours when Kimberly chuckles and leans in to whisper in her ear.

“I wanna try something.” She says, and Trini is left wondering what the hell she means when she hugs Diana goodbye and heads out of the door, jumping on Jason’s back as she does.

Trini finds out what exactly she means when she’s resting in bed in the middle of the night with Diana curled up beside her.

“Hey.”

“AH!” Trini jumps up at the sound of a voice, looking around the room wildly before her eyes land on Kimberly right beside her in her bed.

“What, what? What happened?!” Diana says sleepily, jumping up and blinking as Trini lets out a deep breath of relief.

“Nothing. It’s Kimberly. Sorry.”

“Kimberly?”

“I did it.” Kimberly breathes, looking around the room with a scoff of disbelief and a grin on her face.

“Did what?”

“What do you mean, Kimberly?” Diana asks, and Trini looks at her in disbelief.

“She’s right here, mom.” Diana frowns, and Trini looks back at Kimberly before looking back at Diana.

“You…you can’t see her?”

“Uh…” Diana starts, and Trini looks at Kimberly in shock.

“Are you…are you visiting me through the link?” She asks.

“Yup! I’ve been trying for over an hour! I did it!” Kimberly says, and Trini laughs.

“This is insane! Mom, she’s using the link to visit me!” 

“The what?” Diana says, still confused, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“The mental link! The bond, whatever it is! She’s here, but she’s…not here? I can see her, because she’s in my mind-.”

“You know what? It’s too late for this…have fun.” Diana says, yawning before she sinks back down onto Trini’s pillow, and Trini stifles a laugh before turning back to Kimberly.  
“We should take this to your room.” She says, and Kimberly nods once before closing her eyes and frowning.

Trini blinks, and suddenly, she’s no longer in her room, but in Kimberly’s, the room dark as Trini realizes she’s sitting on Kimberly’s bed with Kimberly lying down on it right beside her.

“Whoa.” Trini says, and Kimberly laughs.

“Right?”

“This is so weird, I can feel everything. I can feel the sheets underneath my body, but…I’m not here.” She says breathlessly, and Kimberly nods.

“I think because I can feel it, you can, too.” She says, and Trini rubs her temples.

“This is…confusing as shit.”

“It is, but we can learn more later. Right now I’m just happy that I can still be with you even if I’m home! Now mom and dad won’t be so shitty at me for spending all my time with you. Even if I am spending all my time with you, because I’ll be visiting you…hmm…” She says with a frown before reaching out and tapping Trini on the nose. Trini swats her hand away with a laugh before she lies down and curls up into Kimberly’s arms. 

Kimberly grins and presses a kiss to her forehead, and god, it feels so real, Trini has no idea whether she really is here or not.

But it’s when she blinks and finds herself back in her room, her back pressed against Diana’s chest, that she realizes it’s still all in her head.

She sighs, focuses and opens her eyes to find herself back in Kimberly’s room, back in her arms.

“Oh man, this is super fucking with my mind, we need to learn to control this shit.” Trini mumbles, and Kimberly chuckles.

“Yeah, Zordon’s gotta teach us as soon as possible.” She murmurs into her hair. 

“For now we sleep?” She asks, and Kimberly lifts her chin up and presses a gentle kiss to her lips.

“For now we sleep.”

-

Trini glares in the mirror, sees the stray pieces of hair that refuse to stay down, and again tries her best to lay it down with her palm.

When it springs back up, she growls and grabs her beanie, shoving it on over her head before walking out of the bathroom and into the hallway.

“Trini! Pancakes!” Diana calls from the kitchen downstairs, and Trini is about to walk toward the stairs when a shadow to her left causes her to jump.

“Jesus! Jason?” She says, turning to look and it is indeed Jason, looking around the place with wide eyes, wearing only sweatpants and no shirt as Trini takes in his disheveled appearance.

“Did you just wake up?” She asks with a laugh, and Jason looks at her with wide eyes as he ruffles the back of his head. 

“Trini? Uh…how am I…here?” He says slowly, and Trini laughs and walks forward.

“Part of the link, bond, thing. Whatever. We can visit each other. Kimberly and I did it last night.” 

Trini blinks, and suddenly, she’s in Jason’s bathroom in his house, and she looks around the place as Jason looks up at her in the mirror, his eyes widening as he drops his toothbrush.

“Whoa!” He turns to look at her in shock.

“Yeah.” Trini says simply.

“This is jarring.” He says with a frown, and Trini nods.

“Yeah. We’ve gotta ask Zordon for help on controlling it.” She blinks, and she’s back in her own home, and Jason’s nowhere to be seen. She sighs and grabs her phone, sends him a quick message that yes, it was real, and no, he’s not hallucinating, before making her way down the stairs.

But just as she reaches the bottom, there’s a knock on the front door.

“I’ll get it!” She calls out.

She opens the front door.

A woman stands before her, her bright brown eyes shining with wonder as she looks at Trini with a frown.

“Oh…I’m sorry, I think I may have the wrong house.” She says, and Trini frowns when she realizes the woman has an accent.

An accent that sounds a lot like her mother’s.

“Who are you looking for?” Trini asks suspiciously, and the woman sighs.

“A woman, much older than you. Her name is Diana.” She says, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

Trini’s eyes widen, and she grips the door before looking out toward the kitchen.

“Mom?” She calls out, turning back to look at the woman, who looks at her with a confused expression.

“What?” Diana calls back.

“Uh, someone’s at the door for you!” Trini calls out again, and the woman’s eyes suddenly widen.

“She’s…she’s here?” She says in shock, and Trini nods before stepping aside.

“Who is it-?” Diana says, but as soon as her eyes land on the woman in the door, she freezes.

And Trini watches as her mother drops the spatula in her hand, her eyes growing wide as tears well in them, her eyes never leaving the woman at the door as she chokes out a name, and when Trini looks at her, she sees the woman at the door looking at Diana as if she hasn’t seen her in other a hundred years.

And it doesn’t hit Trini that maybe…just maybe…

She hasn’t.

“Menalippe?”


	10. round my hometown, oh the people I've met (are the wonders of my world)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Hometown Glory" by Adele.
> 
> can i just say that getting a tumblr is the best thing i've ever done?  
> the fandom is so fun! and I wasn't even aware how popular my fic is in the fandom, too! I was so shocked!  
> you guys have been sending me messages and it's so heartwarming reading them! thank you all so much for your support!  
> this is my tumblr for this who missed it: movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com  
> I hope you guys enjoy this one, it's a bit of a filler to be honest, but the cliffhanger will hopefully make you guys hungry for the next chapter!  
> as always, comments are appreciated!

Trini watches the two women in silence, unsure if it’s even her place to speak up.

She’s never seen this woman before, but the name…the name sounds so familiar to her. Trini can’t put her finger on where she’s heard it from as Diana observes the woman from a distance, eyes wide and filled with tears as the woman looks at her with a similar expression, a mixture of awe and sadness in her eyes.

“Diana…” She whispers, stepping forward over the threshold as Trini steps back, and Diana suddenly smiles, a scoff of disbelief escaping her.

“How…” Diana’s voice cracks, and she shakes her head, unable to get the words out as the woman walks forward toward her before she bows down on one knee, resting her forearm on it before bowing her head. 

“It is an honor, Princess.” The woman says firmly, and Trini suddenly starts to put the pieces together in her mind, her heart pounding in her ears loudly.

One thought runs true and clear, despite all the fogginess of the details.

Whoever this woman is, she’s from Themyscira. 

She’s an Amazon.

But she doesn’t look like one, at least not at first. Trini takes in her jeans, the rips in them, the boots that cover her legs, and the graphic shirt that covers her body, but then her eyes take in the muscles that stand out underneath the shirt, her arms toned and muscular and most of all, scarred, different marks on her tan arms that mark her as a warrior...

“No…” Diana whispers, shaking her head before she runs forward, bending down onto her knees and gripping the woman’s face in her hands.

“You bow to no one, Aunt Menalippe.” She whispers. 

And then the two women are embracing, Diana hugging Menalippe tightly as she laughs through her tears, and Trini’s pretty sure her entire brain is fried right now.

How is this possible?

“How? How did you get here, how did you find me?” Diana says in disbelief, echoing Trini’s thoughts out loud, and Trini jumps slightly when she feels a hand on her shoulder.

“Trini?” 

She turns, eyes landing on Jason, Zack, Billy and Kimberly behind her, all of them watching her with concern as Kimberly’s grip on her shoulder moves down to her hand.

“What’s going on? We all just felt a rush of excitement and fear, is something wrong?” Trini shakes her head, squeezes Kimberly’s hand.

“I don’t know what’s going on yet. Stay?” She whispers, and the others nods, walking up behind her to stand by her side.

“This whole visiting each other stuff is weird.” Zack whispers under his breath.

“Shh…” Trini hushes, turning her attention back to the reunited niece and aunt. Menalippe watches Diana with hesitation before she lets out a deep breath.

“I’ve been looking for you ever since you left Themyscira, Diana. Hippolyta sent me after you a few years after you left…she was worried, surprised you never returned.” Menalippe says, and Diana suddenly bows her head, her eyes filled with guilt and remorse as Menalippe grips her shoulder.

“I’ve been keeping her updated on your wellbeing, letting her know of your successes…the War, the Justice League, the battle of Vietnam, all of it. For years, she’s told me not to disturb you, not to approach you and ask you to come back…”

“Until now?” Diana breathes. Menalippe nods.

“Until now.” She whispers. 

Diana is quiet for a long time, processing the words Menalippe is telling her.

She’s been coming here, to their world for years…watching Diana from a distance, and essentially keeping tabs on her.

Trini thinks Diana might be angry, but all she sees in her eyes is regret.

“You should’ve told me you were here, should’ve told me…” Diana whispers, shaking her head with tears forming in her eyes.

“Hippolyta told me not to…she may be my sister but above all else, she is my Queen. I couldn’t disobey her.” Menalippe says, and Diana sighs before looking at her. 

“How…how did you even find me?” Diana says, touching Menalippe’s cheek, and she smiles and touches Diana’s wrist, gripping it gently.

“I saw you on the…TV, is it? The strange device with images…they showed you fighting alongside these men in armor in strange machines. They said you were in a town named Angel Grove. I got here as soon as I could. I was afraid you would leave again. But it appears you live here?”

Trini averts her gaze, knows she’s talking about the fight with Rita, and Diana looks at her with a knowing glance before she looks at Menalippe once more.

“We do.” She says, nodding toward Trini, and Menalippe turns, looks at Trini in confusion.

“Both of you?” She asks. Diana shakes her head.

“I’ll explain later, the reason you’re here…is there something wrong in Themyscira?” Diana asks, and Menalippe turns her attention back to Diana, her eyes wide as she grips Diana’s hands in her own.

“Diana, it’s Hippolyta. She needs you.” She says softly.

“What’s happened?” Diana asks immediately, worry taking over her features.

“She’s not well. She needs you.” Menalippe says. Diana lets out a soft cry, tears falling down her face, and Trini steps forward as Diana’s bottom lip trembles, her heart aching for her.

“Mother…” Diana whispers. Trini grips Diana’s hand in her own, and Diana jumps, looking down at her as if she suddenly just remembered her existence, and Trini doesn’t blame her.

She can’t even begin to understand what must be going through Diana’s head…

Menalippe turns to look at her with a frown.

“Who are you, child?” She asks, and Diana sighs before wrapping an arm around Trini’s shoulders. 

“I…”

“It’s okay, mom. I’ve got it-.”

“No, I…Aunt Menalippe, this is my daughter, Trini.” Diana says, and Trini watches as Menalippe’s eyes grow wide and she looks at Diana in shock before looking back at Trini. 

“Your daughter? But...I never saw her, I never…” She trails off, looking at Trini with wonder as Trini shifts uncomfortably under her gaze.

“If you never came close, then that’s why. My life as Wonder Woman is separate from my life as Diana Prince. I did it to make sure Trini stayed safe…” Diana says, squeezing Trini’s shoulders gently. Trini smiles up at her, and Diana’s eyes grow soft as she leans in and presses a kiss to Trini’s forehead.

“I took her in like Hippolyta took me in…and I have not regretted it for a single second.” She says softly, and Menalippe suddenly smiles widely, understanding shining in her eyes, and Trini understands where her confusion must’ve began.

She thought Trini was Diana’s biological daughter.

“Ah…”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Trini says with a smile, extending her hand. Menalippe grips it, gives her hand a firm shake.

“So she’s from Themyscira…” Trini hears Zack say as he and the others move closer to her, and Trini rubs her head as it pounds before nodding.

This mental link is seriously starting to take a toll on her…

“Mmm…”

“My mother…you said she’s not well.” Diana says, her grip on Trini growing tight all of a sudden, and Trini looks up at her to see her jaw clenched as she looks at Menalippe. Trini takes her hand, tries her best to give her strength as Menalippe sighs.

“She needs you, now. You have to come back with me to Themyscira as soon as possible. We’ve already wasted so much time…” She says to Diana, and Diana hesitates before she takes a deep breath in and looks down at Trini.

Trini doesn’t know what to say, what to do or even think…

The idea of going to Themyscira is shocking, to say the least. Trini never thought it would be a possibility…

But Diana’s mother…her grandmother needs them…

But this isn’t Trini’s choice, this is Diana’s. She knows no matter what she wants, this is Diana’s decision to make…

Diana seems to come to the realization that this decision is hers and hers alone, and she smiles at Trini softly before she closes her eyes and looks up at the ceiling, breathing in once deeply before looking at Menalippe.

“Getting back to Themyscira…is it possible?” She says slowly. 

“Of course. I’ve been doing it for all these years.” Menalippe says without hesitation. 

“I still can’t believe that…you need to tell me everything.” Diana mutters, and Menalippe smiles.

“All in good time.” She says softly, and Diana takes in a deep breath before looking at Trini.

“You’ll be okay for a few days on your own, won’t you?”

Trini freezes.

_What?_

_Wait, what, what is she talking about-_

Her heart suddenly pounds against her chest painfully, panic building inside her, and Kimberly breathes in sharply behind her before gripping her hand.

“Breathe, Trini…” She whispers, and Trini knows she and the others are probably feeling her anxiety, her panic-

“What?” Trini croaks out, looking at Diana in shock.

“I have to go to Themyscira, little one-.” She starts, and Trini nods.

“I know. But I’m coming with you.” She says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“Wait, what?” Trini hears a voice behind her, and when she turns, she finds Kimberly looking at her in complete shock, her eyes wide, but before Trini can say anything to her, Diana’s voice brings her back. 

“Absolutely not.” Trini turns to look at Diana, watches as she looks at her sternly before crossing her arms over her chest.

“Why not?!” Trini says, her fear replaced with anger in a heartbeat. What is she talking about? How can she even think of not taking Trini with her?

“It’s too dangerous!” Diana says, and Trini makes a noise of disbelief that has Zack chuckling under his breath.

“Okay first of all, how is it dangerous? We’re just going to go see your mother! And second of all, I’m a Power Ranger! I died a few days ago, I think I’ve hit the top of the dangerous scale!” Trini fires back, and Diana bares her teeth in anger.

“That’s exactly the point! Who knows what could happen there, I’m not putting you in the middle of it! Not after what happened just a few days ago, absolutely not, Trinity!” She says with a tone of finality, and Trini glares at her.

_No way, no fucking way-_

Trini’s anger burns through her, and Kimberly suddenly grips her bicep.

“Trini, calm down.” 

Trini looks at her as Kimberly watches her with careful eyes.

“She’s right, Trin.” She says softly, and Trini scoffs.

“You’re just saying that because you don’t want me to go.” She says harshly out of nowhere, the thought not even remotely entering her mind before it’s escaping out of her mouth, and Kimberly suddenly lets go of her, her eyes widening in shock before she crosses her arms over her chest, her expression turning stony.

“Is it so bad for me not to want my girlfriend to leave me for god knows how long?” She says angrily, and Trini glares at her.

“I don’t remember complaining when you left for India for two weeks.” She hisses, and Kimberly’s mouth drops open in shock.

“That was different! My grandmother died, Trini!”

“And mine might be in trouble, I can’t just sit here and do nothing-.”

“Trini, who are you talking to?!” Diana shouts, interrupting her, and Trini jumps and looks at her, suddenly aware that Menalippe and Diana are watching her with wide eyes.

She must look crazy talking to herself, but she can’t bring it in herself to care, all she can think about is convincing Diana to let her go with her to Themyscira.

“Kim.” She says simply, and Diana rolls her eyes.

“This bond stuff is going to drive me crazy.” She mutters before turning to Menalippe.

“We should leave as soon as possible-.” Trini shakes her head.

“No, we’re not done with this! You don’t get to just ignore me, Mom! I’m coming with you.” Trini says firmly.

“No you’re not.” Kimberly and Diana say at the same time, and Trini growls under her breath and glares at Kimberly and the others.

“You…I…wait! I’ll get to you in a moment!” She says, pointing at Kimberly as she glares at Trini, and Jason clears his throat.

“Uh, maybe we should go-.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Kimberly growls, and Jason sighs as Trini turns her attention to Diana, ignoring Kimberly completely.

“Mom, you’ve always talked about how you want to take me to Themyscira, and now you can and you don’t want to? Why?!” She exclaims.

“Trini, I’m your mother and if I say you are not going then you are not going! That is final!” 

And suddenly, everything Trini is feeling in this moment, weighing on her chest like a heavy weight, bursts from her in a rushed sentence that has her crying before she can stop herself.

“No, it’s not final! You don’t get it, do you!? Every time we’re separated, something bad happens to one of us!” Trini roars, and suddenly, it’s all quiet.

Silence is thick in the air, Menalippe looking back and forth between the mother and daughter duo, and Diana is looking at Trini with wide eyes filled with grief, her whole body trembling, and Trini is shaking with contained rage as tears of anguish threaten to fall down her eyes.

“You can’t…you can’t expect me to be okay here on my own, not knowing if you’re okay. Last time we did that, I thought you were dead. And I couldn’t…” She trails off, biting down on her lip as her tears fall, and Diana suddenly bites her lip and cradles Trini’s face in her hands.

“Trini…if something happens to you while we’re there…” She whispers.

“I’m a Power Ranger. I can handle myself.” She whispers back. Diana watches her for a long time.

“She’ll be safe with us, Diana.” Menalippe says, touching both Trini and Diana’s shoulders, and Trini looks at her with a thankful expression, glad that Menalippe is on her side, and Diana glares at Menalippe for half a second as if she’s mad that she is.

“I know that, I just…what about the others? Jason and Zack and Billy and Kimberly…” Diana says, and Trini turns her head to look at Kimberly, watching as she looks at Trini with desperate eyes when Jason suddenly steps forward and grips Kimberly’s shoulder.

“Trini…you should go.” He says softly.

“What?!” Kimberly yells, looking at Jason angrily, and he shakes his head.

“Kim, come on, this is her mother-.”

“No! This is fucking ridiculous!” Kimberly yells, and Trini winces before turning to look at Diana.

“Jason says he thinks I should go. Mom, they’ll be fine without me. They have each other. And we have this link.” Trini says, and Diana sighs loudly, turns to look at Menalippe.  
“She’ll be considered a child in Themyscira-.”

“When have we ever treated children badly?” Menalippe says with a raised eyebrow, and Diana bites her lip in hesitation as Trini shakes her head, trying her best to ignore the sounds of Kimberly and Jason arguing next to her in her mind.

“Stop looking for excuses, Mom.” She says, and Diana chuckles before she smiles and leans in to kiss her forehead.

“Alright.” Diana whispers. Kimberly suddenly stops yelling beside her, a whimper escaping her, and Trini’s heart breaks at the sound, but she hugs Diana tightly, burying her head in her chest as Diana presses a kiss to her hair before she turns to look at Menalippe.

“We’ll leave as soon as possible.” She says hoarsely, and Menalippe bows her head.

“Whenever you are both ready to go, we’ll go.” 

“Trin…”

Her voice is soft, heartbroken and soft, and Trini closes her eyes at the sound.

“Kim…” She whispers. She feels a hand on her neck, trembling fingers stroking the back of it.

_Kimberly…_

“Go talk with her, little one.” She hears Diana say softly, and Trini opens her eyes, sniffs back tears and nods as Diana touches her cheek.

“I’ll pack your bags…” She says, and Trini nods again before looking at Kimberly. 

“I’ll meet you at the ship. I need to let Zordon know, too.” She says, and Jason and Billy pop up on either side of Kimberly as Zack grips her shoulder.

“We’ll see you there, crazy girl.” He says gently, and Trini wipes away her tears, turns her back, and refuses to look at Kimberly as she walks to the front door.

“We will leave as soon as she returns, yes?” She hears Menalippe say to Diana, and she hears Diana chuckle.

“Of course, but in the meantime, we have much to discuss, Aunt Menalippe…”

-

As soon as Trini enters the ship, the door sliding up and open for her, the others are rushing over to her from the center of the ship, all of them with looks of concern and sadness as Jason grips her shoulder.

“Hey, look…we’re gonna be okay, alright? We’ll be fine without you, just go and help Diana…”

“We’ll be able to check in with you through the link anyway.” Billy says with a smile.

Trini nods, her eyes scanning for Kimberly, and she sees her standing next to her pedestal on the morphing grid, her hands gripping the railing and her back turned to Trini and the others.

“She’s…” Zack trails off, and Trini shakes her head.

“I’ve got it.” She whispers. She makes her way toward Kimberly, but before she can get a word in, the wall lights up and Zordon’s face appears, Alpha 5 suddenly making his way over to her.

“Jason has informed me that you need to leave.” Zordon says, and Trini sighs with a nod.

“It won’t be for long…at least, I don’t think it will. But it’s important.” Trini says, and Zordon sighs.

“Very well. But your training is of the utmost importance, Trini-.”

“I’m going to an island of Amazonian warriors, something tells me I’m not getting away from training.” Trini says with a chuckle, and Alpha 5 suddenly pipes up.

“Oh, you’re going to your mother’s island? How exciting!” He says, and Trini smiles.

“I hope so. I’ve never been. This will be my first time ever.” She says, looking at Kimberly, whose back stiffens at her words. 

“Regardless, the link you all share will allow you to observe training sessions here as well. The distance won’t matter. The link works across different worlds.”

“Speaking of, we kinda need to learn how to control this whole mind link thing. I don’t want one of these guys showing up when I’m in the shower, you know.” Zack says with a sheepish grin.

“Right, you don’t want them to catch you morphing!” Alpha 5 says, and Jason and Billy turn bright red as Zack grins widely.

“Yeah, definitely not!” He says with a wink, and Trini shakes her head in disbelief. 

“Anyway, the point is, we don’t quite know how to control it.” Trini says, and Zordon nods.

“Something else I can teach you while you’re away using the link. It might even work in our benefit, help you to better understand it while using it in the process.”

“Right…”

“So you’re not even going to bother asking her to stay?” Kimberly says suddenly, looking up at Zordon with a blank expression, and Jason and Zack look at her in shock as Trini sighs.

“Kim…” Trini starts, but she raises a finger to silence her.

“No…I can’t do this. I can’t.”

“Kim-.” But she’s already running, dashing toward the entrance of the ship and leaving, and Trini watches her go in shock.

“I’ve got her-.” Jason says, but Trini grabs his arm to stop him.

“No, this is…this is something I have to fix.” She says hoarsely, and Jason’s eyes soften as he nods.

“Alright.” 

Trini dashes through the entrance after Kimberly, her heart pounding as she runs down the stairs and through the cavern until she reaches the watered ceiling.

Kimberly is about to jump when Trini yells out.

“Kim, stop! Please!” Kimberly stops in her tracks as Trini catches up with her, and she pauses, catches her breath for a second as Kimberly’s whole body shakes before she turns to face Trini, tears falling down her face in anguish.

“Trin, you can’t go. Please…” Kimberly whimpers, and Trini feels tears prick her eyes.

“Kimberly, I can’t…I’ve been wanting to go to Themyscira since I was five, I can’t just waste this opportunity. And Menalippe said that Hippolyta is sick, what if she dies and I never got to meet her? And what about Diana? I can’t just abandon my mom when she needs me.” Trini says softly. Kimberly bites down on her lip in hesitation before she’s shaking her head and moving closer to Trini, grasping her shirt between her fingers and tugging her forward before bumping their foreheads together.

“I almost lost you a few days ago, Trini, I can’t…” She chokes out, and Trini reaches up, runs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair, her brain torn in two.

She doesn’t want to leave Kimberly, but this is Themyscira, something she’s been dreaming about for years…

This is the hardest decision she’s ever had to make…

“You’re not losing me, I promise-.” Kimberly suddenly tugs away, shaking her head furiously as she glares at Trini angrily.

“Don’t! Don’t, okay? You’re going off to some remote island with no idea of when you’re coming back, and you expect me to be okay with it?” Kimberly yells, and Trini shakes her head.

“It’s not that simple-.”

“It is! You died, Trini! You fucking died! Less than four days ago! You died in m-my arms-.” Kimberly suddenly stops, her voice thick with emotion as tears fall down her face, and Trini blinks back her own tears, feels the grief well up inside her as she pulls Kimberly toward her and hugs her tightly.

“Shh, shh, I’m sorry…I’m so sorry-.”

“Trini, please…don’t go.” She croaks out, her lips pressing against Trini’s neck, and Trini lets her tears fall, the energy to keep them at bay no longer there. 

“Kim…I’m sorry. I have to do this.” She whispers. 

Kimberly pulls back, stares at her for a long time, her whole body shaking with sobs, and Trini tries to move forward to touch her, but Kimberly moves back again.

“I can’t do this.”

“Kim-.” Before Trini can call her back, she’s jumping up through the water, and Trini gets splashed, almost doused with water as she blinks in shock. 

She bares her teeth.

Then she jumps up.

She powers through the water, blasts through the surface and lands awkwardly on her feet on top of the Cliff, and Kimberly is already attempting to run when Trini runs at her and, without meaning to, tackles her into the ground, her shoulder slamming into Kimberly’s back as Kimberly grunts and drops to the ground, and she turns just as Trini manages to straddle her waist, her hands slapping Trini away.

“Get off me!”

“Stop fighting me! KIM!” Trini grabs her wrists and slams them to the ground above her head and Kimberly easily twists one of her wrists out of Trini’s grip and suddenly strikes her, her hand slapping right across Trini’s cheek. 

The sting doesn’t hurt as much as the act does, Trini’s other hand instinctively letting Kimberly go as she grips the wound, and when the metallic taste of blood hits her taste buds, Trini pokes the broken flesh of the inside of her cheek with her tongue, feels the rush of blood again as she looks down at Kimberly.

She has her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock, and Trini sighs.

“Feel better?” She asks breathlessly, turning her head to the side and spitting out the blood currently flooding her mouth, and Kimberly stares at her for a long time before, out of nowhere, she begins sobbing, tears falling into her hair, and Trini moves back off her and grabs Kimberly by the shirt, dragging her up into a seated position while still straddling her lap before hugging Kimberly to her chest tightly, both of them dripping wet with water from the lake as Trini combs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair.

“Shh, shh, Kim, it’s okay-.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, fuck!”

“Shh, just talk to me, please, I can’t leave us like this, please…” Trini whispers. Kimberly simply cries, grips the back of Trini’s shirt like a lifeline as Trini presses kisses to her hair, her face, every part of her body that her lips can reach. 

“Kim, please…” Trini pulls back and grips her chin, forcing her to look up at her, and Kimberly’s eyes are red and puffy as she sniffs and looks up at Trini with grief-filled eyes.

“Please, don’t be sad…we can still visit each other with the link, and I’m gonna be with Amazons, the deadliest warriors in the world, I’m…I’m gonna be safe, Kimberly. I swear to you, I’m gonna be safe. I’m gonna come back to you.” 

Kimberly nods, and Trini smiles and wipes the tears from her cheeks before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

“I love you.” She whispers. Kimberly whimpers, rests her forehead against Trini’s lips. 

“I don’t want you to go, Trin…” She whispers.

“I don’t want to leave you, god, this is fucking killing me, but Kim, I have to do this.” Trini says hoarsely, and Kimberly leans in, presses a kiss to her throat.

“I know…fuck, I know…” She whines, and Trini shudders at the feeling of Kimberly’s lips against her throat before she cradles Kimberly’s face with her hands.

“That was one hell of a bitch slap.” She teases, and Kimberly groans.

“I’m sorry, fuck, I didn’t mean-.”

“Shh, I know. It’s okay.” Trini says with a chuckle, and Kimberly sighs, collapsing into her arms as Trini rubs her back. 

“You’ll get to see Themyscira, too, you know…with the link.” Trini says, and Kimberly suddenly chuckles against her skin before pulling back and shaking her head.

“That won’t work.”

“Damn.” 

Kimberly laughs, and Trini smiles, kisses her again more passionately before pulling back.

“I’m gonna get up now. Don’t run again, please, I did not enjoy tackling you.”

“Yeah, I didn’t enjoy being tackled.” Kimberly grumbles, but when Trini stands, she holds a hand out for Trini to take, and Trini helps her up, pulling her close and leaning up on the tips of her toes to kiss Kimberly just as they hear the sound of three sets of footsteps landing on the ground behind them.

“Hey, lovebirds, we got a surprise for you!” Zack says, and Trini turns to face Zack, Jason and Billy. Jason ruffles the water out of his hair with a grin before he holds something out to Trini.

And Trini’s breath catches in her throat.

It’s the golden bracelet, the one Rita forced her to put on to get the teleportation device to work, and Trini looks up at Jason with wide eyes.

“That…”

“Yeah.” Jason says grimly, and Trini takes a deep breath in, takes it out of his hands.

“It disappeared from my wrist when I died I think. When I woke up it was gone.” She mutters, turning it over in her hands, and Jason sighs.

“Maybe…point is, there were enough in there for all of us to wear one. So if something goes wrong in Themyscira, or something goes wrong here, we can come to you, or you can come to us using the teleportation device. Zordon advised against it, said we weren’t ready, but I told him I wasn’t letting you go without back up.” Jason says, handing another bracelet to Kimberly.

“These burn like a mother-uh, they burn, is what I’m getting at.” Billy says, rubbing his wrist where the bracelet is, and Trini sighs, looks at Kimberly before latching her bracelet on over her wrist.

As soon as it’s secure, it latches onto her wrist, shrinking down around it tightly, and Trini hisses at the pain, tries her best to ignore the memories that threaten to invade her mind and instead watches as Kimberly winces and rubs her wrist before looking up at Trini.

“I’m sorry for freaking out.” She whispers.

“It’s okay.” Trini whispers back, gripping her hand tightly.

“We’re gonna miss you, crazy girl.” Zack says, moving forward and enveloping Trini in a hug, and Trini wraps her arms around his waist just as Jason and Billy wrap their arms around her too, all three boys hugging her tightly.

“You’re gonna visit me all the time, right?” She says, her voice muffled against Zack’s chest, and he laughs and rests his chin on top of her head.

“Uh, hell yeah we are! You’re going to freaking Themyscira, Trini! There's no way I'm missing that!” He says, and Trini grins, pulls back and looks at the boys.

“I’m going to freaking Themyscira.” She repeats, her heart pounding in her chest with excitement.

But there’s a twinge of grief that she knows is a feeling she’s sharing with someone else, and when she looks back at Kimberly, the noise of the boys cheering and laughing fades into the background as tears fall down Kimberly’s face.

-

“Don’t get possessed while I’m gone.” Trini mumbles into Kimberly’s shoulder.

Kimberly tightens her grip on Trini’s hips, pulls her in closer until there’s literally no amount of space between them left as she whines against Trini’s hair.

“Don’t joke about that, it’s not funny.” She whispers, and Trini shakes her head.

“I’m not joking.” She says firmly, and Kimberly sighs.

Trini had gotten back home with the others in tow just as the sun was setting, the Rangers finally done with spending the day with each other in the mines to find her bags packed and already waiting in the Kia sportage, Diana and Menalippe waiting inside for her.

“Ready to go?” Diana had asked, and Trini had nodded.

Now they were outside, Diana and Menalippe waiting for Trini to say goodbye to the others.

Jason hugs her tightly, presses a kiss to her hair and tells her and Diana to stay safe. Diana surprises him when she pulls him into a hug and presses a kiss to his forehead as well, telling him to do the same. 

Zack hugs Trini, tells her he’ll visit her every second of every day just to annoy her, which earns him a punch to the stomach before Diana chastises her and hands him an envelope.

“It should cover your mother’s medication for at least a month. I don’t expect we’ll be gone for that long, though. A key to the house is in there too so you can tend to your roses, or if any of you need to get away from your own homes, you are welcome to stay if you want. No parties.” She adds sternly, just as Zack opens his mouth to say something, and his eyes widen, tears filling them before he shakes his head and hugs Diana tightly.

“I’ll keep the place spotless. Thank you so much.” He whispers. 

Trini presses a kiss to Billy’s cheek and hugs him, and Billy tells her he’ll miss her, which breaks her heart.

But then Billy is hugging Diana and asking her to keep Trini safe, that they can’t lose their Yellow Ranger but more important, they can’t lose their best friend, and Trini is crying as Diana smiles, kisses his forehead and tells him she’ll do everything in her power to keep her safe.

Now Trini is in Kimberly’s arms, refusing to let her go as Kimberly sighs against her, tears falling down her cheeks.

“I hate this.” Kimberly says, and Trini nods.

“Me, too.” 

“Where are you going first?” Trini hears Jason ask, and Diana sighs.

“London. Themyscira is located in the North Sea, but it’s protected by Zeus’s power, hidden from view by humans and the world alike.” 

“If it’s protected with some kind of barrier, will we still be able to contact Trini through the mental link?” Billy asks, and Trini’s heart stops.

“I’m not sure.” Diana says, and Kimberly’s grip on Trini suddenly tightens.

“Trin…” She whispers.

“It’ll work. It has to.” She whispers back, refusing to believe in the possibility of not having Kimberly by her side, and Kimberly shakes her head before pulling back and kissing Trini deeply, hands gripping her face and pulling her as close as possible.

Trini kisses her back, holding onto her tightly, breathing her in and trying to imprint the memory of her skin, her touch, her smell, her voice in her mind…

“Keep this safe for me.” Trini whispers, pulling her phone out of her pocket and handing it to Kimberly, and Kimberly nods and shoves it into her pocket.

“I will…”

“Come on, little one…our flight leaves soon.” Diana says softly, and Trini pulls away from Kimberly, nods against her forehead and closes her eyes as Kimberly lets out a gentle whimper.

“I love you. So much.” She whispers.

“I love you.” Trini whispers back. 

She pulls away, hesitates in dropping Kimberly’s hand before she untangles their fingers and moves away, and when she looks at Jason, she doesn’t even need to say the words she’s thinking.

He grips her shoulder and smiles.

“I’ll look after her. I promise.” Trini nods once, moves toward the car as Menalippe, who’s remained silent this entire time, sits in the front seat, an anxious look on her face as she looks around the car as Trini clambers into the back.

"Are you okay?" Trini asks her, and Menalippe smiles.

"Of course, young one." She says, and Trini rolls her eyes.

_Must be an Amazon thing..._

The Rangers stay there, observing as Diana turns the car on and begins reversing out of the garage, and Jason puts an arm around Kimberly as she cries into his shoulder, and Trini averts her gaze, unable to watch, her bottom lip trembling-

They’ve barely pulled out and away from the house when Jason, Zack, Billy and Kimberly pop up in the seats beside her, Kimberly nuzzling close to her as Zack pops up in the seat behind Trini.

“Guess it wouldn’t hurt to accompany you to the airport, right?” He says with a grin, and Trini wraps her arms around Kimberly and nods.

“Don’t leave.” She whispers.

And they don’t.

Throughout the entire two hour drive to San Francisco, which has the nearest international airport, the Rangers stay by her side. As soon as they pull up to the airport, however, Zack tells her he needs to get home to check on his mom, and Jason and Billy tell her they should get home, too.

“Wait, are you all still at my place?” She asks them in disbelief, and Jason sighs.

“Uh yeah so, when we visit each other, we apparently kinda go blank in the real world. Stationary, not moving, you know…”

“Yeah, I learned that the hard way. When I was visiting you this morning, my mom thought I was having a stroke. It wasn’t pretty.” Billy says with a frown, and Trini sighs and shakes her head.

“Go. Get home, you can visit me when you’re alone in your rooms or something, alright? The last thing we need is to cause any suspicion.”

“You’re talking to yourself in the middle of an airport, Trini.” Jason says, and Trini turns bright red, looks at Diana, who raises an eyebrow at her.

“Sorry.” Diana simply rolls her eyes, and Jason chuckles. 

“Visit us during your flight, okay?” Trini nods, and in the blink of an eye, Jason and Billy disappear.

Kimberly gives her a sad smile, and Trini grips her hand.

“I’ll come to you as soon as I’m on the plane.” She whispers, and Kimberly sighs.

“Okay.” 

Trini blinks and she’s gone, and she ignores the pain in her heart as she carries her bag and follows Diana and Menalippe into the airport.

“This world is so strange…even when I return to it once every few years, everything is different.” Menalippe says, looking around the airport in wonder. Trini smiles.

“So you’ve watched our world change just like Diana has?” She asks, and Menalippe smiles and nods.

“Yes. It’s…strange. But inspiring.” Menalippe says, and Trini looks at Diana, who gives her a warm smile and wraps an arm around her shoulders.

“Diana told me she raised you from birth…you really did follow in Hippolyta’s footsteps, Diana.” Menalippe says with a chuckle, and Diana sighs.

“I can’t wait to see her…the thought of her being unwell…” Menalippe sighs.

“I think she misses you more than anything. Maybe seeing you will make her feel better.”

“I hope so.” Diana mutters.

They make their way through customs with ease, get through the ticket handling and to the gate, and as soon as Trini is seated down at the gate as they wait for their flight to board, she curls up against Diana, who wraps her arms around her as they wait to board their flight.

“I’m sorry, little one. I know you don’t want to leave them…maybe you should stay-.”

“Don’t.” Is all she says, and Diana sighs before pressing a kiss to her hair. 

“Thank you.” Is all she says, and Trini smiles and buries her head into her chest before she begins playing with Diana’s hair. 

As soon as the announcement is made that they can board their flight, Trini jumps up and dashes to the gate, desperate to her to her seat so she can see Kimberly, and as soon as she’s seated by the window, she looks up at the stars in the sky, relishes in the fact that she’ll be amongst them in less than twenty minutes, and Diana and Menalippe have just taken their seats beside her when Trini looks at Diana, then past her at Menalippe, who doesn't look to fond of the plane as she looks around it with a frown.

"Humans and their technology..." She mutters under her breath, and Trini sighs before looking back at Diana.

“I-.”

“Go. How do I bring you back?” Diana asks, and Trini smiles.

“Just shake me. Should bring me back.” Diana touches her cheek and smiles before leaning in and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Go, little one. I’m envious…ten hours on a plane is torture, at least you don’t have to be here the whole time.” She says under her breath, and Trini grins before she closes her eyes and focuses. 

When she opens them again, she’s in Kimberly’s room, Kimberly lying on her bed and looking up at the ceiling, and as soon as Trini pops up, Kimberly looks at her and whimpers before jumping out of the bed and running to her.

She hugs her tightly, and Trini laughs and hugs her back, pressing a kiss to her collarbone.

“I’m on the plane.” She whispers.

“Yeah?” Kimberly whispers back.

“Mmm…come on.” She grips Kimberly’s hand and leads them over to Kimberly’s bed, and Kimberly pulls Trini into her lap, wrapping her arms around her as Trini presses a kiss to her jaw. 

“This is so much more comfortable than a plane.” She whispers against her skin, and Kimberly nuzzles her cheek against Trini’s forehead, holds her closer.

“Thank god for this bond, I don’t think I’d be okay if we didn’t have this.” She says, and Trini smiles.

“Good thing we had our little bonding session before all this then, huh?” Kimberly smiles, closes her eyes and breathes deeply, and Trini presses another kiss to her jaw.

“I’ve gotta go see the boys.” She says, and Kimberly nods.

“Okay…”

“I’ll be back right after, okay?” Kimberly nods with a smile, and Trini kisses her, lips brushing against hers softly.

“Let me get up in the air first, alright?”

“Okay.” 

Trini focuses her energy back on herself, and when she blinks, she’s back in the plane, Diana and Menalippe talking in hushed tones as the stewardess announces that they’ll be taking off in five minutes.

The take-off is bumpy, and Trini holds Diana’s hand throughout the whole thing, still not quite over her fear of flying as Diana squeezes her hand and sings a lullaby in Spanish to calm her down like always.

Trini's not the only one who's nervous.

Menalippe curses under her breath in pretty much every language she knows, which, if Trini is correct in thinking that she learned the same amount as Diana, is over two hundred different ones as she grips the armrests of her seat tightly and closes her eyes. Diana simply chuckles and holds her hand as well.

As soon as the pilot announces they’re safe and up in the air, and the seatbelt signs turn off, Diana strokes Trini’s back and unclips her seat belt.

“Come here.” Trini smiles, unclips her own seat belt before Diana lifts up her armrest and Trini rests her head in her lap, curling up into a ball on the seat as she does.

“See, that’s one good thing to come out of being so small…” Diana murmurs, running her fingers through Trini’s hair, and Trini laughs.

“True.” Diana chuckles, one hand in her hair and the other rubbing her back.

"Is Menalippe okay?" Trini asks, and she hears Menalippe sigh.

"Yes, Menalippe is okay, she has faced worse than this before...she is a warrior." Menalippe says through gritted teeth, and Trini bites down on her tongue to stop herself from laughing as Diana grins before tapping her forehead.

“You’re going back to the others?”

“Mmm…you know I hate flying.”

“Again, I’m envious.” Diana says, and Trini smiles up at her as Diana winks.

“Tell them I miss them already.”

Trini smiles, closes her eyes and focuses on Zack, and when she opens her eyes again, she’s in his trailer, Zack in the kitchen pouring himself a glass of water.

“Hey.” Zack jumps, the water flying everywhere, and Trini laughs.

“Jesus, crazy girl! Some warning would be nice.” Zack says, clutching his chest as he breathes deeply.

“Sorry.” Zack shakes his head with a scoff, but then he’s smiling and wrapping his arms around her tightly.

“How’s the flight?”

“We just took off…in the air now.” She says against his chest, and Zack presses a kiss to her hair.

“Guess it’s kinda cool that you can just get out of there whenever you want.” 

“Mmm, Diana’s jealous. Also, she misses you guys already.” She says, pulling away from Zack, and he grins. 

“I miss her too.” 

Trini moves on to Jason not long after visiting Zack, and Jason smiles and hugs her, but she doesn’t get to stay long, Jason’s sister running into his room and jumping on his back as Jason throws her an apologetic look before piggybacking his sister around the room, and Trini smiles and tells him she’ll come back as soon as she lands in London before moving onto Billy. 

Billy is tinkering in his little dungeon as usual, throwing wires together as he grins up at Trini and asks her how the flight is.

Trini tells him it’s fine, stays for a few minutes before pressing a kiss to his temple, promising him she’ll visit when she gets to London.

As soon as she arrives in Kimberly’s room, she moves over to where Kimberly is still lying in her bed, and she jumps on top of her, straddling her waist as Kimberly laughs and rests her hands on Trini’s hips. 

“Took you long enough.” She breathes, and Trini grins before she leans down and kisses her, and Kimberly groans against her lips, her hands roaming underneath Trini’s shirt as Trini moves her lips down to Kimberly’s neck.

“How does this feel so real?” Kimberly gasps, a soft whine escaping her when Trini bites down on her collarbone. 

“I honestly have no idea and right now, I honestly don’t care.” Trini breathes, and Kimberly runs her fingers through her hair, pulling her back up to kiss her deeply, and she fiddles with the bottom of Trini’s shirt-

“Uh guys?” Trini yelps and jumps off Kimberly, looking around wildly before she sees Zack, Jason and Billy all watching them, Billy covering his eyes with his hand, Jason looking up at the ceiling as his cheeks turn bright red and Zack grinning widely at them with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, hi, you share this link with three other people.” Zack says, waving at them sheepishly, and Trini groans.

“Ugh, seriously?!” She yells, and Kimberly turns bright red.

“Uh…”

“Yeah, some of us don’t have a girlfriend to get rid of the…you know…emotions, that you’re feeling.” Jason says, still avoiding looking at them, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“So what, Trini and I aren’t allowed to have sex ever again?” Kimberly says sternly, and Jason groans as Billy shakes his head and turns completely, looking at the wall as Zack howls with laughter.

“Look, can you maybe just…I don’t know, hold off until we figure out how to block each other out? I mean, Trini’s not even really here anyway, so…” Jason says, and Kimberly glares at him.

“Yeah, thanks for reminding me.” She growls, and Trini sighs.

“He’s right…” She mutters, and Kimberly presses the heel of her palms into her eyes.

“I hate this bond now.”

“No you don’t.” Zack says, laughing, and Kimberly glares daggers at him.

“Alright, show’s over, go home.” Trini says, waving them off, and Billy still doesn’t turn to look at them, simply waves goodbye to them by throwing a hand out behind him and waving, and Jason sighs, Zack waggling his eyebrows at them before she blinks and they’re all gone.

Kimberly glares at the spot where they disappear before looking at Trini.

“We need to get them out of our head, like ASAP.” Trini laughs and curls up into her arms, nodding against her chest.

“Ditto.”

-

“Little one, come back…”

Trini groans, feels Kimberly’s arms around her for half a second before she feels longer fingers combing through her hair, and Trini blinks blearily before she looks up and sees Diana staring back at her.

“We’re here.” She whispers, and Trini moves an inch before her whole body explodes with pain.

“Ow…” Her back cracks painfully, and Trini sits up slowly, her whole body aching terribly as Diana rubs her back soothingly.

“You’ve been in the same position for ten hours, I’m not surprised.” She says with a chuckle, and Trini stretches, groans as the joints in almost every bone in her body crack and pop, and then she rubs the sleep from her eyes with a yawn.

"So have you, but you're fine." She grumbles, and Diana shrugs.

"I was sculpted from clay." She teases, and Trini rolls her eyes.

"You were not." 

"No, but I am the daughter of a God, it's the same thing." Diana says, and they both jump when they hear a gasp and turn to see Menalippe's eyes widen, and she looks at Diana in shock.

"You...you know?" She says, and Diana grips her hand.

"Ares told me everything." She says softly, and Menalippe sighs.

"Diana, I-."

"It's okay, Aunt Menalippe. I don't care where I came from...Hippolyta, Aunt Antiope and you will always be my family." She whispers, and Menalippe smiles before she leans in and presses a kiss to Diana's forehead.

Trini smiles, and she closes her eyes and focuses her energy on Kimberly, and when she opens them again, she’s back in Kimberly’s room, Kimberly looking around blearily as she smiles when she sees Trini.

“Hey.” She says hoarsely, and Trini presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Hey…” Kimberly smiles at her touch, looks outside of the window at the blue tinge of dawn that comes through it.

“The sun’s rising here…” Kimberly says, and Trini grips her hand.

“It’s already in the sky where I am…” She whispers, and when she blinks, she’s back in the plane.

But she isn’t alone.

Kimberly sits in her lap, their hands intertwined as she looks out of the window to see the sun shining brightly above them.

“That’s so fucking weird…how many hours ahead of us is London?” She whispers, and Trini chuckles and holds her closer.

“Eight or nine, I think. We’re landing now.”

“Where are you going after this?” Kimberly asks, and Trini frowns and turns to look at Diana.

“What’s next?” She asks, and Diana smiles.

“Menalippe apparently has a boat. She’ll take us out to sea and we should reach Themyscira within a few hours.” She says in a hushed tone, and Trini looks up at Kimberly.

“What if the link doesn’t work when you get to Themyscira?” Kimberly whispers, and Trini grips her hands tightly. 

“It’ll work. It has to.” She says simply, and Kimberly sighs and leans back against her, and Trini presses a kiss to her shoulder and wraps her arms around her waist. 

Kimberly stays with her until the plane lands, and Trini holds her tightly, Kimberly rubbing soothing circles into the back of her palms until the plane lands with a soft thud, jumping slightly before it carries out smoothly the rest of the way, and when people begin clapping, Trini rolls her eyes.

“White people.” She mutters, and Kimberly laughs loudly.

Trini presses a kiss to her cheek.

“I gotta get up, babe.” She whispers, and Kimberly nods.

“Alright…when you get on the boat-.”

“I’ll come back to you. Don’t worry.” Trini says with a chuckle, and Kimberly smiles before Trini blinks and she’s gone.

Trini’s been to London before, but the memories are foggy of the time she lived here when she was seven years old, Diana using Bruce’s library in London for a few years to get more artifacts and knowledge about something that Trini still doesn’t know much about before they ended up moving back to the States. 

Trini and Diana grab their bags, Diana staring in disbelief at Menalippe handling herself so easily in this world, and Trini finds herself frowning as Menalippe leads them out of the airport.

“Who taught you about our world? I mean, when you first got here, you must have been confused.” Trini says, and Menalippe nods before she looks at Diana and grips her hand.

“Diana…when I first got here back in 1922, I had barely gotten off the boat that brought me here before a woman named Etta was running up to me and covering me with a coat.”

Diana stops short.

Trini watches as Diana blinks in shock before tears well in her eyes and her bottom lip trembles before she’s smiling softly.

“Etta…” She whispers, and Trini turns to look at Menalippe, watches as she smiles and nods.

“She told me she knew you. That she worked with you to help bring an end to the war. She told me as soon as she saw my clothes, she knew who I was, asked me if I was from the same place Diana was. I told her I was, and she began to teach me about this world. She was the one who kept me up to date on you, Diana. She told me what you were doing, how you were…everything I learned about you and this world, I learned from her. We agreed on a date and a time, and every five years, I came back here to check on you through her. Until one time, upon my arrival, I found her daughter instead. ” Menalippe says, and Diana wipes away the tears that fall down her face.

“Sarah…” She says with a nod, and then she scoffs and shakes her head.

“Why did they never tell me?” She says, and Menalippe smiles.

“I asked them not to. Etta wanted to tell you so badly, but Hippolyta wanted you to live your life as freely as possible without the ties of Themyscira holding you down. When Etta passed, I was heartbroken…but Sarah informed me she passed away in her sleep peacefully.” Menalippe says, and Diana nods, a warm smile lighting her face.

“She did…” Menalippe squeezes her hand, and Diana sighs.

“So Sarah began to meet with you?”

“Yes. But as Sarah grew older, she told me she lost contact with you, and after that, she only knew as much as the rest of the world did.” A look of regret fills Diana’s eyes, and she shakes her head.

“I lost contact with her because I didn’t want to put her in danger. If anyone discovered I was Wonder Woman, they could trace me back to her, I couldn’t risk it.” 

“I know, Diana. She figured that much was true. But after she, too, passed away, she passed the responsibility onto her daughter, Natalia. She owns the docks, bought them after she married a wealthy business man, Richard I think his name is.”

“So you’ve been using her as a passage to and from Themyscira.” Trini concludes, and Menalippe nods.

“Yes. I could ride the boats from Themyscira for so long before they began to look…old, in this modern day society.” Menalippe says with a sigh, and Trini chuckles under her breath at the image that pops into her mind of Menalippe steering some ship that looks like it belongs in Ancient Greece through the English Channel.

They end up catching a taxi to the docks, and Trini can feel the fatigue starting to get to her, despite the fact that she was technically asleep in Kimberly’s room the entire flight here. Diana holds her and presses a kiss to her hair as soon as they’re in the backseat of the taxi.

“Almost there, little one…”

As soon as they reach the docks, Menalippe jumps out of the car with a frown, and Diana chuckles.

“She doesn’t like cars.” She murmurs under her breath, and Trini can’t help but grin widely. 

“But planes are okay?” She teases, and Diana raises an eyebrow before she nods.

“Ah yes, you only saw the beginning of the choas that was Menalippe handling a flight from San Francisco to London. You were busy with Kimberly. That was her first flight. It didn't go well.” She says with a chuckle, and Trini blinks in shock.

“If she hates flying too, how did she get from London to Angel Grove?” She asks, and Diana shrugs.

“She swam, apparently.”

Trini doesn’t have time to process what her mother has just said before Diana grips her bag from the trunk and throws it at her, Trini catching it with a grunt.

Menalippe leads them through the docks and up toward a boat to the far left of the docks, and Trini sees an elderly lady who looks like she’s possibly in her fifties or early sixties, her skin slightly wrinkled and her auburn hair streaked with grey, standing by a boat that has the word ‘Menalippe’ written on the side of it.

“Wow, she got a boat named after her.” Trini says with a chuckle, and Diana ruffles her hair with a grin. 

“Menalippe! Glad to have you back!” The woman says, and Menalippe gives her a warm smile before hugging her.

“Natalia, I think you know who this is.” She says, looking back at Diana, and Natalia’s blue eyes grow wide.

“She’s…I…Diana?” She chokes out, and Diana smiles.

“I knew your grandmother well. She was an amazing woman, and an even better friend.” Diana says, a sad smile on her face as Natalia reaches out and grips her hand.

“Thank you, dear. I just…after all these years…” She says with a chuckle, and Diana smiles.

“I’m sorry I lost contact with your mother. After Etta passed, I was too afraid of someone discovering who I was and using your mother to get to me. The world is filled with evil, I wasn’t about to jeopardize her life.” Diana says, and Natalia shakes her head.

“She understood that. As do I. I can promise you, I will never tell a soul.” 

“Thank you.”

“Menalippe, I’m sure you know the way by now.” Natalia says, and Menalippe smiles.

“I do. Come, Diana. Trini.” 

“Thank you, Natalia. For everything.”

“Of course. Have fun!” She says with a wave, and Trini grabs her bag as Diana and Menalippe lead her toward the boat.

As soon as they cross the dock and climb the small steps onto the boat, Trini rests her bag on the deck and looks at the boat.

It only consists of a deck with a small seated area around the deck, and a standing shelter with a bulkhead and a steering wheel for the boat itself.

It’s small, but Trini thinks that’s probably a good thing, considering they’ll only be on it for a short amount of time. She turns and looks out into the ocean, watches the waves rise and crash as the seagulls caw above her and she smiles.

“So somewhere out there is Themyscira…” She says, and she jumps in surprise when arms wrap around her waist.

“It’s beautiful.” She hears Kimberly say in her ear. Trini smiles, holds her hands before she looks at Diana.

“How far away is it?”

“This is the fastest boat that Natalia owns. We should be there within two hours.” Menalippe says as she unlatches the rope keeping the boat against the dock and Diana swallows the lump in her throat and collapses onto the seated area on the deck of the boat as she looks at Trini.

“Get some rest.” She says hoarsely, but Trini shakes her head before she turns to look at Kimberly.

“Get the boys.” She whispers, and Kimberly frowns before she nods and disappears with the blink of an eye, and Trini makes her way to Diana.

“I’m okay. You’re not, though.” Diana grips her hands in her own, presses a kiss to her knuckles before she sighs.

“I haven’t been back in almost a hundred years, Trinity. I don’t…I don’t know what I’m supposed to say, or do…” She trails off, shaking her head, and Trini bends down and grips Diana’s knees with her hands. 

“She’s your mom. She’ll love you no matter what.” Diana smiles, touches Trini’s cheek gently before she bites down on her bottom lip in hesitation.

“I couldn’t imagine losing you…I did for less than five minutes and I felt as if my entire world had imploded. I left her voluntarily…you can’t tell me she’ll be happy to see me when I never returned…” She says, tears falling down her cheeks as she shakes her head, and Trini feels the other four behind her as she grips Diana’s hands in her own.

“The others are here.” She whispers, and Diana looks up at her before looking behind her at where she thinks the others are.

“I miss you guys.” Diana says softly, and Zack sighs.

“We miss you too, Mama Wonder.” He says, and Trini chuckles.

“Zack says ‘we miss you too, Mama Wonder’.” Diana chuckles, wipes away her tears before gripping Trini’s face in her hands.

“Don’t leave my side, no matter what.” She says, and Trini nods, grips the hands cradling her face.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

The boat takes off, and Trini grips the seat to stop herself from falling as Menalippe maneuvers the ship off the dock and out into the ocean, and Trini feels her stomach turn as Kimberly grips her hand.

“Jeez, she wasn’t lying, this is a fast boat.” Trini mutters, and she jumps up and sits beside Diana, resting her head on Diana’s shoulder as Zack, Jason, Billy and Kimberly take in the view around them.

“So this is London, huh?!” Zack says, holding his arms up and cheering.

“It’s so beautiful!” Billy says, grinning widely, and Trini watches as Jason closes his eyes and jumps on top of the seats, soaking in the sun as he laughs.

“This is great!” He crows, and Trini watches them all with a warm smile.

“I wish you guys were here for real…” She says, and Kimberly smiles and sits down beside her, resting a hand on her thigh.

“In your mind is good enough.” She says with a shrug, and Trini laughs before wrapping an arm around her and pressing a kiss to her temple.

The boat ride feels shorter than two hours, but the boys simply run around the deck, enjoying the sun and the high speeds of the boat as Trini, Diana and Kimberly all rest on the seats, Trini and Kimberly watching the boys mess around as Trini tells Diana what they’re doing, and it feels like no time has passed at all before Menalippe is stepping out of the standing shelter of the boat and making her way toward them.

“We’re about to pull in.” She says, and Diana stands, and Trini’s heart is pounding against her eardrums as she grabs Diana’s hand.

“Breathe, mom.” She whispers, and Diana takes in a shaky breath and squeezes her hand.

“I’m trying.” She whispers, and Trini looks at Kimberly, Jason, Billy and Zack as they all look at her with concern.

“Moment of truth.” Kimberly says, and she stands and grips Trini’s hand tightly.

“If it ends up not working…” Trini starts, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“It’ll work. It has to.” She echoes Trini’s words, and Trini squeezes her hand before gripping Diana’s.

Menalippe heads back into the standing shelter, steers the boat to the left, and Diana narrows her eyes and suddenly looks around the place before her eyes grow wide and she points straight ahead.

“There…do you see it?” She whispers to Trini, and Trini looks to where she’s pointing with narrowed eyes.

It all looks the same, an endless ocean with soft waves crashing as the sun shines above them, but Trini can see something that almost looks like the fumes of a non-existent fire shimmering in the air in front of them, and Menalippe steers them toward it as Diana lets out another shaky breath.

“Almost there.” She whispers. Trini exchanges a glance with Kimberly, watches as Kimberly says a silent prayer under her breath before Trini closes her eyes just before they pass it-

She feels something cold wash over her entire body, and Trini gasps for air before Diana squeezes her hand.

“Open your eyes, little one.” She whispers.

Trini opens her eyes, blinks slowly.

An island in the distance, bright and beautiful and shining in the sunlight, buildings that look that they were pulled straight out of Ancient Greece towering in some sections of the island, and it doesn’t hit Trini that they were pulled straight out of Ancient Greece until she sees the statues that also shine in the sunlight, the fountains of water as they get closer and closer…

Trini feels something squeeze her hand, and when she realizes it wasn’t the hand Diana’s holding that was squeezes, she grins and looks to her right.

Kimberly is looking up at Themyscira with wide eyes, a grin slowly lighting her face.

“It worked.” She whispers, and Trini rests her head against Kimberly’s shoulder, looks ahead of the deck to see Jason, Billy and Zack all looking up at Themyscira in awe.

“Holy crap…” Zack whispers, and Jason looks back at Trini in shock.

“Dude…” Is all he says, and Trini looks back up at Themyscira in awe.

"Trini...it's so beautiful..." Kimberly says beside her, and Trini nods, unable to tear her gaze away until Diana grips her elbow.

“Mom…” Trini turns to look at her, sees the complete look of shock and awe in Diana’s eyes as Menalippe leaves the shelter once more and makes her way toward Diana and Trini.

“Welcome to Themyscira.” She says, and Trini grins up at her before she reaches up and grips Diana’s shoulder, and Diana looks down at her with tears falling down her face. Trini reaches up and brushes them away with her fingers, her smile only growing wider.

“Welcome home, mom.”


	11. so lying underneath the stormy skies, she'd say oh, I know the sun must set to rise (this could be para-para-paradise)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Paradise" by Coldplay.
> 
> annnnnd it's up! i hope you guys enjoy it, comments are appreciated! also if you don't know already, i've got a tumblr! here it is: movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com  
> I'm hoping I can get a gifset up of the AU as well on tumblr, but it depends if photoshop decides to co-operate today!

Trini is in awe.

She can’t stop staring up at the island in front of her, more things coming into view the closer they get. The city looks like it was pulled straight out of Sparta, the stone buildings standing tall and proud, but there’s a mixture of things that look otherworldly, fountains of gold that spout water and towers that stand at least fifty feet high…

Trini squints her eyes and blocks the sun that bears down above her to see people beginning to gather at the beach front of the island, all of them descending from atop the Cliff that builds a wall between the beach front and the rest of the island. They move effortlessly, some of them jumping down gracefully from step to step, skipping ten at a time as Trini watches them in awe.

“Are those-?” Trini starts, and Diana grips her hand.

“The Amazons.” She whispers. Trini looks to her mother, sees her looking at the island with a mixture of emotions that Trini can’t even begin to pick apart. 

“Guys…” Trini turns to look at the others, and Kimberly nods once and presses a kiss to her temple.

“Do you want us to stay or go?” She asks softly, and Jason, Billy and Zack walk up to her, all of them watching her intently.

“I…”

“Whatever you choose, Trin. We’ll respect it.” Jason says with a smile, and Trini looks at each of them, sees the way Zack looks up at Themyscira in awe, sees Billy’s wide grin, Jason’s eagerness to learn more, Kimberly’s desperation to stay…

“Stay close. But just…give me a bit of space, too. Mom needs me and I’ve…I’ve gotta stay focused.” Trini whispers, and Jason nods once.

“We’ll stay behind you, alright?” Trini nods, and Kimberly presses another kiss to her hair before she falls back behind her, Jason, Zack and Billy joining her. 

Trini immediately moves to Diana’s side, grips her hand tightly as Diana looks at Menalippe, who suddenly approaches from the standing shelter in completely different clothes, red and gold armor covering her body and long boots similar to the ones Diana wears covering her feet, a cape hanging from shoulders, and Trini blinks in shock, but Diana barely reacts. 

“Will they attack?” She asks Menalippe sternly. 

“Not when I raise this.” Menalippe says, and she walks over to the pole beside the standing shelter and begins pulling on the rope beside it, and Trini sees a piece of cloth that she thought was just a tarp for the boat begin to rise slowly.

Trini sees a symbol she’s seen a million times before, two W’s intertwined with each other, the symbol that rests on the belt of Diana’s armor, the symbol that everyone back on their world associates with Wonder Woman…

The flag is black with the symbol etched into it in gold, and as soon as it reaches the top, flies in the wind with the breeze and stands tall, Trini hears cheering from the beach front, the Amazons waving as they welcome Menalippe home.

Trini thinks they might not yet be able to see Diana and Trini also aboard the boat just yet, fears for when the boat gets closer to the shore as she rubs calming circles into Diana’s forearm as she begins to take shuddering breaths in and out.

“Mom, breathe…”

“I am, little one. I just…this was my home for almost eight hundred years…” She whispers, tears falling down her face, and Trini smiles.

“You’re happy?” She asks softly, and Diana lets out a breathless laugh.

“Happy…nervous, excited, terrified…a million different things at once.” Trini squeezes her hand, and Diana looks at her with a soft smile before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“It doesn’t matter, my darling. As long as I have you by my side, I’ll be okay.” 

“Then I promise I’ll never leave it.” She says firmly, and Diana rests her chin on top of Trini’s head and embraces her for a few moments before Menalippe grips her shoulder. 

“Ready?” Diana nods, and Menalippe moves back to the standing shelter to accelerate the boat to move faster, the shore getting closer and closer, and Trini can see the Amazons on the shore beginning to realize that Menalippe isn’t the only one aboard.

“It’s Diana! Diana’s returned!” Trini hears one of them shout, and Trini hears Diana whimper.

“That’s Orana’s voice…I’d know it from anywhere.” She whispers, and Menalippe chuckles before she looks at Trini.

“Your friends…are they with you?” She asks sternly, and Trini blinks in shock as Menalippe smiles at the shocked look in her eyes.

“Your mother explained to me that you share some sort of mental bond with those four friends of yours…if they are here, I’d like to speak with them. Can they hear me?” She asks, and Trini nods numbly as she feels the others step closer to her behind her. Menalippe looks at Trini and sighs.

“I need them to promise that they will never expose the location of Themyscira.” She says firmly, and Trini nods once as the four of them begin speaking at the same time.

“Of course, we would never-.”

“Trini, tell her, we know-.”

“We care about Themyscira, too-.”

“Guys, stop! I’ve got it, jeez!” Trini says, rubbing her head as it pounds, and Diana chuckles and looks at Menalippe.

“They have a habit of talking over each other when they’re passionate.” She says, and Menalippe shakes her head.

“How strange this bond is…”

“It’s a long story, but the point is, you don’t need to worry at all. We know what it’s like to keep a secret, we understand completely. All of us do. They won’t say a word. They care about Diana almost as much as I do, and she’s my mother.” Trini says with a smile, and Jason nods.

“What she said!” Trini rolls her eyes at him, and Diana smiles and touches Menalippe’s shoulder.

“They will say nothing. You can trust them as much as you can trust me.” Diana says, and Menalippe visibly relaxes as she lets out a deep breath.

“Then I have nothing to worry about. But just let those boys know…before Steve Trevor landed on Themyscira, it was punishable by death for a man to be on this island, physically or not.” She says with a raised eyebrow, and Trini feels Jason, Zack and Billy’s fear run through her as Diana groans.

“Don’t frighten them, Menalippe, they’re children…” She mutters, and Menalippe shrugs.

“Like I said, that was before Steve Trevor! It’s not the case now.” She says with a grin, and Trini hears Jason chuckle nervously.

“Thank god for Steve Trevor then, huh?” He says, and Trini grins widely. 

Finally, the boat begins to pull up beside the small dock on the shore, and Trini feels a sudden wash of fear take over her.

What if they don’t accept her?

“Trin…” Kimberly starts, but Trini shakes her head and subconsciously hides behind Diana, gripping her hand as the Amazons begin rushing up to the boat, the excited energy buzzing off them like a tornado as they clamor around the boat with hopeful expressions on their faces. Trini takes them in, eyes taking in their height, all of them as tall and some even taller than Diana, all muscular and covered in armor…

“Stay here for a moment.” Menalippe says, and she makes her way toward the boat before stepping down from it onto the dock.

“General Menalippe, is it true? Is Diana on the boat with you-?”

“Is she here? Has she really returned-?”

“Amazons! Quiet yourselves!” Menalippe calls out, and all of them fall silent as Trini looks up at Diana to see her looking up at the sky with closed eyes, breathing in deeply as she feels the sun on her face…

“Where is the Queen?” Menalippe asks.

“She’s-.”

“Menalippe? What is the cause of this chaos?”

Trini feels Diana’s knees buckle as a soft cry escapes her, and Trini grips her hand.

“Mother…” Diana whispers, and Trini feels her heart pound against her chest as she peeks a glance over the boat’s stern.

A woman is making her way through the crowd of Amazons on a horse, other women dressed in armor similar to that of Menalippe’s walking alongside her, spears in their hands and helmets over their faces as the woman on the horse comes to a stop before she steps down off the horse, the others immediately clearing space for her to walk through. Trini eyes the armor covering her body, and as she gets closer, she realizes it’s made of some sort of reptilian skin, not armor at all, but clothing, and Trini’s eyes move up to the coat that hangs off her shoulders, the golden headband that shines in her golden locks of hair, her blue eyes blazing with caution…

Trini watches as Menalippe bows her head.

“My Queen…” She says firmly, and Trini looks back at Diana in shock.

“Hippolyta?” She whispers, and Diana nods.

“What has happened?” Hippolyta asks, and Trini can hear her accent, hear how she sounds like Diana, can almost feel the power and grace radiating off her as she comes to a stop in front of Menalippe.

“I…” Menalippe starts, and Trini watches as Hippolyta tucks a finger under Menalippe’s chin and forces her to look up before touching her face gently.

“What has happened, dear sister?” She says, her tone softer now, and Menalippe smiles.

“I brought her home.” Menalippe says, and Trini watches as Hippolyta stumbles back, a gasp escaping her before she looks up at the boat with wide eyes, looking all around it in desperation.

“Diana?” She whispers.

Trini grips Diana’s hand before touching the small of her back.

“Mom…go.” She whispers. Diana swallows the lump in her throat and nods once before tightening her hold on Trini’s hand.

“Stay with me.”

“Always.”

They walk toward the stern of the boat together, hand in hand, and when Hippolyta sees Diana, a cry escapes her lips before she falls to her knees, her hands covering her mouth in shock before she laughs, tears of joy falling down her face as her blue eyes burn bright with euphoria.

“Diana…” She says again, her voice filled with emotion, and Diana smiles through her own tears before she lets go of Trini and jumps down from the boat.

Trini follows suite, jumping over the stern and landing on the dock as Diana runs forward and comes skidding to a halt on her knees, sand flying everywhere as she comes to a stop in front of Hippolyta.

“Mother!” She embraces her, wrapping her arms around Hippolyta tightly as Hippolyta cries into her shoulder, holding Diana as if she can’t believe she’s really here, and Trini walks to Menalippe’s side awkwardly, unsure of where exactly to stand. But Menalippe chuckles and wraps an arm around her shoulders.

“Come here, young one.” She says softly, and Trini smiles up at her as Menalippe gives her shoulders a squeeze.

Trini feels the other four beside her, looks to them to see them watching Diana and Hippolyta’s reunion with warm smiles, sees Kimberly crying as she sees Diana so happy to see her mother, and Trini can’t help the tears that fall down her own cheeks at the sight before her. 

She’s never seen Diana this happy before…

“I have waited…so long…” Hippolyta says through her tears, shedding the mask of the warrior and showing the heart of a mother, and Diana pulls back, cradles her mother’s face in her hands before pressing a kiss to her forehead as tears fall down her face.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting.” She whispers, and Hippolyta shakes her head.

“You are safe, and that is what matters, my darling.” She says, touching Diana’s cheek and brushing her tears away, and Diana smiles before she hugs Hippolyta again, lifting them both up off the ground as she does. 

“Princess Diana has returned!” Menalippe shouts suddenly, and the Amazons all cheer, a victory cry that Trini’s only ever heard in movies about armies filled with men, cheering in their masculinity and power…

But this victory cry is filled with hope, with honor and strength of a different kind as the Amazons begins to move forward and crowd around the Princess and the Queen, and then they’re all bowing, all of them sinking to their knees and bowing their heads, and Diana pulls away from Hippolyta, watches them with a warm smile as she raises a hand.

“Arise, my Amazons. You know I am one of you before I am a Princess of Themyscira, and I always will be.” She says, her voice soft, but carrying all the power to echo over the entire beach, and the women rise to their feet, all of them cheering as some of them rush forward and hug Diana, all of them welcoming her back with open arms, some of them even weeping as Diana holds them with a wide grin. 

Trini hangs back, stays by Menalippe’s side until Diana suddenly raises a hand to stop the next person from hugging her, her eyes wide as she looks back at Trini before her eyes move to Hippolyta.

“Wait! I must do something first. Mother…” Diana takes Hippolyta’s hand and leads her back toward the boat to where Trini and Menalippe are standing, and Hippolyta looks at Menalippe before her eyes fall down to Trini.

Trini swallows the lump in her throat, tries to push her anxiety and fear down as Hippolyta’s eyes fill with wonder before Diana reaches out and grabs Trini’s hand.

“Mother…this is my daughter, Trinity.” She whispers softly, and Hippolyta’s eyes widen as she looks at Diana in shock, her expression conveying a million different emotions as she looks back and forth between the two.

“Your…your daughter?” She gasps out, looking at Trini as if she can’t possibly exist, and whispers begin to echo on the beachfront as the Amazons stare at Trini in wonder and shock. Diana smiles and steps closer to her as she can feel Trini’s discomfort under the gaze of Hippolyta and the Amazons.

“I took her in as you took me in. I’ve raised her since she was just a baby…she may not be my blood, but as I am your daughter, she is mine.” Diana says, reaching out and touching Trini’s cheek, and Trini feels a wave of gratitude and love pound through her as she looks up at Diana in awe before grabbing the hand on her cheek. 

Hippolyta watches Trini for a long time, her gaze unwavering as she looks Trini up and down, and Trini squirms uncomfortably under her gaze, can’t help but wonder what is going through her mind…

Trini can’t help but feel like she may asked to leave, to get out of Themyscira-

Hippolyta suddenly reaches out and touches her other cheek gently.

“My granddaughter…” She whispers, and Trini can feel her bottom lip trembling as her emotions threaten to drown her, overwhelm her…

She’s with her family…

“It’s…it’s nice to meet you…Queen Hippolyta…” Trini manages to squeak out, and she goes to bow her head before Hippolyta tucks a finger under her chin and raises her head with a shake of her own.

“You bow to no one, my dear child…” She says softly, and before Trini can react, Hippolyta cradles her face in her hands and leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to Trini’s forehead before she smiles down at her.

“My daughter returns after a hundred years, and the granddaughter I never knew I had arrives in Themyscira…what is an old lady to do with all these emotions?” She says, looking at Diana, who chuckles and shakes her head.

“Celebrate.” She says with a wide grin and a shrug, and Hippolyta chuckles and wraps an arm around Trini’s shoulders before reaching for Diana’s hand and gripping it tightly in her own.

“Come. We must talk first, discuss what has happened, and how this miracle came to be.” She says, squeezing Trini’s shoulders, and Trini smiles up at her before Hippolyta turns her attention to those around her.

“But my Amazons, today is a day of celebration! Menalippe, Orana…prepare the festivities!”

The Amazons cheer, all of them crowing as Trini glances back at the other four, all of whom are cheering as well, and she beckons them forward with a nod of her head, wanting them to come with her as Hippolyta leads her and Diana toward her horse, and one of the warriors brings a horse forward for Diana.

“Here, Princess.” She says with a smile, and Diana touches her shoulder.

“Thank you, Penelope-wait, our bags-.” She says, turning back with wide eyes, but Menalippe shakes her head.

“I’ll get them, Diana. Go with your mother. Acantha! Egeria! Help me carry their bags off the boat!” Menalippe says, turning to walk back to the dock, and Diana shakes her head.

“Wait, Aunt Menalippe-.”

“Don’t bother, Diana! They weigh nothing to us and you know it! Now go!” Menalippe says with a laugh as she jogs back toward the boat, two other women joining her, and Diana sighs before she looks at Trini.

“Come, little one.” Diana says, placing her foot into the saddle on top of the horse and climbing onto it with ease. She holds a hand out, and Trini takes it as Diana lifts her with ease up and onto the horse in front of her, reaching around Trini’s waist to grab the reins of the horse.

“Well, I just lost all credibility. You lifted me like I weigh nothing.” Trini grumbles, her cheeks turning bright red with embarrassment, and Diana chuckles in her ear before pressing a kiss to her hair.

“All the women here can lift you like you weigh nothing, trust me. And you’re a Power Ranger, you have strength, too. Or did you forget that?” She says, and Trini glances down at the other four beside the horse, all of them with wide grins on their faces.

“How can I forget? They’re a constant reminder.” She says, nodding down toward them with a wink, and Diana chuckles.

“They’re still here?” She asks, and Trini nods as Diana kicks her heels into the side of the horse lightly, and it begins trotting forward after Hippolyta’s horse, and Trini looks down at the others as they walk alongside Diana and Trini. 

“You guys can go if you want-.”

“No way, this is the best thing to happen in a long time!” Zack says with a wide grin, looking at the Amazonian women walking beside Hippolyta and Diana’s horses in awe. Jason and Billy are also watching them in shock, and Kimberly laughs as she ruffles Billy’s hair.

“They’re badass, huh?” She says, and Billy nods numbly as Trini laughs.

They make their way up the Cliffside, and Trini takes in the sights around her, looks out at the ocean and the forest surrounding Themyscira, and Diana wraps an arm around her waist.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” She murmurs into Trini’s hair, and Trini nods.

“I’ve never seen anything like this.” She whispers, and Diana chuckles. 

Trini takes it all in, the stone floor that echoes as the horse’s hooves hit the ground, the tall spires and statues of what look like Greek Gods that line the walkways, the busts of Aphrodite that also appear randomly, the plants and roses that seem to bloom under the sunlight as they enter the main town of the island, and Trini gasps when she sees the hustle and bustle of the village.

Women in beautiful white robes and togas with gold crowns holding their hair back, all of them carrying baskets of fruit and bread as laugh and enjoy each other’s company, and as soon as they hear the sound of hooves, they all look up at the Queen’s arrival.

And then they’re all gasping, all looking on in shock as Diana of Themyscira rides a horse alongside her.

“Princess Diana has returned!” One woman shouts, and all of them begin cheering as they run toward the horses, and Diana smiles, holds Trini close as she waves.

“We will celebrate tonight, I promise!” She calls out, and the women cheer, all of them joining the Amazons as they continue through the village and enter the courtyard of what looks like a cathedral, an open space of marble poles and carts and women walking around, and Trini feels like she’s stepped right onto a movie set in Ancient times...

“Dude, this looks like it was pulled straight out of an Assassin’s Creed game…” Billy says, and Trini laughs.

“It does…”

“Mmm?” Diana asks, and Trini shakes her head as Billy grins up at her.

“Nothing…”

“This is Paradise, Trini. Now I know why they want to keep this place safe. Mankind would taint it…” Billy says with a sigh, and Jason grips his shoulder.

“Yep. Without a doubt. We gotta keep this place away from humans.” He says with a chuckle.

“Then you should get out of here.” Trini teases, and Jason shakes his head.

“Nuh uh, we’re Power Rangers. Different species.” Zack says, and Jason nods furiously, still looking around the city in awe as Trini laughs loudly.

Hippolyta dismounts her horse and Diana follows suite, holding her arms out as Trini jumps down and into her arms, gripping her shoulders to steady herself as Hippolyta beckons them forward.

“Come.” 

Menalippe and the two women who helped her grab their bags follows behind Hippolyta as Diana grips Trini’s hand and leads her through the space, the women still clamoring around them, but still keeping their distance as they welcome Diana back with cheers and applause, and Diana smiles, grips Trini’s hand tighter before they follow Hippolyta into the cathedral-like building.

As soon as they’re inside, Trini looks around in awe.

It looks like the inside of some grand Hotel, red velvet chairs in some sections and chandeliers of gold hanging from the ceiling, the sunlight filtering through the clear windows that line the right wall of the building, and Trini can see unlit torches hanging from the sides of the walls and in between the high glass windows as well.

“Oh right…no electricity here.” She says, and Diana laughs.

“There’s a lot of things that aren’t the same as our world, Trini.” She teases, and Trini laughs.

“I know…the women were wearing togas.”

“They were…”

“Will I have to wear a toga?” Trini asks, and she jumps when she hears a groan behind her.

“Please wear a toga.” Kimberly whispers in her ear, and Trini shudders before she pushes Kimberly away lightly with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She says, and Kimberly grins widely.

“You can wear one if you’d like.” Diana says, and Kimberly grips Trini’s hand.

“You’re so wearing one.”

“Shh…” Trini says, a grin on her face, and Diana raises an eyebrow at her.

“Kimberly wants you to wear a toga, doesn’t she?” She says, and Trini laughs as Kimberly turns bright red. 

Hippolyta leads them into a room, two women opening the doors and bowing their heads as they enter, and Trini looks around the room to see it’s almost like a grand living room, long couches and even more red velvet chairs around the room, a fireplace in the middle of the wall on the left with more chairs around it, and Trini sees more high glass windows with sunlight filtering through them and more torches hanging on the walls.

“So do you go around and light the torches when the sun sets?” Trini asks, and Diana nods.

“Yes.”

“That must take a long time.” Diana chuckles.

“It does…”

Hippolyta leads them over to the fireplace, and Diana immediately sits down on the couch and pulls Trini down beside her as Hippolyta takes the seat in front of them, leaning in to light a fire and stoking it before she rests back against the seat.

“Trini, we’re gonna go…I think this should be a private moment between the three of you.” Jason says suddenly, and Trini looks up at him, hesitates for a moment before she nods. Jason grips her hand and leans in to kiss her forehead.

“Come visit us when you’re ready.” Trini nods again, not wanting to talk to mid-air in front of Hippolyta, and Zack and Billy both grip her shoulder before they disappear. Kimberly sighs and presses a kiss to her temple.

“I love you.” Trini stares into her eyes, tries to tell her she loves her back through just her expression, and Kimberly must get it, because she smiles and squeezes her hand before she disappears as well.

“Diana, we’ll take your bags into your old room.” Menalippe says suddenly, and Trini turns to see her at the door with the two other women, all of them carrying Diana and Trini’s suitcases in their arms with ease.

“Alright. Thank you, Aunt Menalippe.”

“Of course. And Diana? Welcome home.” She says, and the other women smile before Menalippe closes the door behind them, and the only people left are Trini, Diana and Hippolyta.

Hippolyta watches Diana intently before her eyes move to Trini, and Diana squeezes Trini’s hand gently.

“I know you must have a lot of questions-.”

“Only one.” Hippolyta says, and she leans in and grips Diana’s hands in her own.

“How are you?” She asks softly, and Diana smiles tiredly and relaxes under her mother’s touch.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? Menalippe said you weren’t well. That’s why I came back.” Diana says, and Hippolyta blinks in shock and confusion before she’s suddenly sighing and leaning back into her chair with a shake of her head.

“Menalippe…she always takes things too literally, you know this, Diana.” She says, and Diana blinks in shock as Trini’s heart pounds in her ears.

“What does that mean?” She says sternly, and Hippolyta chuckles.

“I’m not unwell, Diana. Yes, I am growing old and weary, that much is true, but I am… alright. Healthy, and now…very much happy.” 

Diana blinks in shock, her mouth dropped open in surprise.

“Menalippe made it seem like you were on the verge of death!” She says through gritted teeth, a hint of anger in her eyes, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Mom, I think all she cared about was bringing you back home.” Trini mutters, relief pounding through her.

Hippolyta is okay…

“That doesn’t give her the right to lie to me! I was worried!” Diana exclaims, and Hippolyta sighs.

“I know…I’ll talk with her. But right now, all I want to know is how you are, Diana…when Menalippe told you had defeated Ares, I wanted nothing more than to see you, but you never came. Have the last one hundred years been kind to you? Are you well?” 

Diana lets out a deep breath, her brow furrowed before she reaches out and grips Hippolyta’s hand. 

“For a long time, I wasn’t. After I defeated Ares, the world grew dark. I had lost so much, had nothing left to fight for…there was so much evil in the world that the times where I thought fighting for humanity was worthless outweighed the times I thought it was.” 

Diana takes in a shaky breath, but turns to look at Trini, a smile lighting up her face as she touches Trini’s cheek.

“But then I found a light in the darkness. I found my daughter…her mother pulled me into an alleyway, asked for my help giving birth to her, and I did. But once she was born, her mother began to pass, and her final request was that I take Trini in as my own. At first I was terrified. I didn’t think I could ever live up to motherhood, could never be the mother you were. But the second I held her in my arms, I knew I couldn’t let her go.” Diana whispers, and Trini can feel her heart melting with love as she grips Diana’s wrist.

“That was how I felt about you, Diana.” Hippolyta whispers, squeezing Diana’s hand and smiling at them both. Diana nods once, and Trini feels a wave of impossibility course through her.

An impossibility that she could ever love Diana more than she does now. 

“I know now what you sacrificed, and what you gained by raising me. You were the best mother I could ever ask for, Hippolyta. I only hope that Trini feels the same about me.” Diana says, and Trini shakes her head.

“Don’t even doubt it, you know I do.” She says softly, pressing a kiss to Diana’s palm, and Diana smiles, leans in and presses a kiss to her temple. 

Hippolyta smiles widely.

“You have an inseparable bond…all I could have ever asked for was for Diana to find someone who would love her as unconditionally as I do…I am so glad she has found that in you, my darling.” Hippolyta says, reaching out to grab Trini’s hand. 

“I’m sorry we never came to see you, but Diana… She was worried someone might follow her back and expose Themyscira’s location. She’s kind of a big deal in our world.” Trini says, and Hippolyta chuckles as she looks at Diana with pride filling her eyes.

“So I’ve heard. Wonder Woman, is it?” She asks, and Diana chuckles, raising an eyebrow.

“It wasn’t a name I chose. They chose it for me. But I only do what is necessary to keep the world and its people safe. I wear Aunt Antiope’s headband to remind myself that only through her am I able to fight as I am…that only through this home of mine, am I truly worthy of the title ‘Wonder Woman’.” Diana says firmly, and Hippolyta smiles as she watches Diana with careful eyes. 

“You have grown…the world has changed you.” She whispers, her eyes soft as Diana simply nods slowly.

“It is a blessing and a curse.” Diana says, and Hippolyta watches her for a long time before she leans in.

“I can’t help but feel like wanting to keep Themyscira safe from prying humans was not the only reason you never returned, Diana…” She says.

Trini looks at Diana, sees the hesitation in her eyes, the grief and regret before she sighs.

“I was afraid.” She whispers.

“Of what, Diana?” Hippolyta asks desperately, and Diana shakes her head as tears fall down her face. 

“I was worried that you wouldn’t approve of me becoming a protector of mankind. I was worried that I would disappoint you with my choices…” Diana trails off, and Hippolyta lets out a soft cry of pain before she stands, and Diana stands with her as Hippolyta cradles her face in her hands.

“My dear daughter…I could never be disappointed in you. You have been my greatest love, and your selflessness is only inspiring. And now, you are not only an Amazon, not only a warrior…but you are a mother as well.” Hippolyta says, looking down at Trini with warm eyes before she looks back up at Diana.

“I could not be prouder of you, my darling.” She whispers. 

Hippolyta wraps her arms around her daughter, and Diana relaxes into her touch, resting her head on Hippolyta’s shoulder as she lets out a deep breath of relief, and Hippolyta reaches her hand out for Trini.

“And you...my, there is much to learn.” She says, and the second Trini takes her hand, she pulls her up and into the hug, Trini grunting as she slams against them before she smiles and melts in their embrace.

“Trinity…Latin for ‘threefold’.” She says, pulling away from Diana and running her fingers through Trini’s hair. Trini nods.

“It was my biological mother’s only request. That I be named Trinity. But everyone calls me Trini.” 

“Trini…” Hippolyta says, and Trini laughs.

“It’s a strange name-.”

“You’re on an island of women with names pulled straight from Ancient Greek Gods, little one…” Diana says with a roll of her eyes, and Hippolyta chuckles before she wraps an arm around Diana and Trini’s shoulders.

“Come…we must celebrate…and this is not appropriate attire for Themysciran celebrations.” Trini stops short, and Diana raises an eyebrow.

“I’m gonna have to wear a toga, aren’t I?” Trini asks, and Diana laughs and nods.

“Better call Kimberly…” She teases, and Trini turns bright red.

“Mom!”

-

“She’s beautiful.”

Diana smiles at Hippolyta’s words, her eyes not moving from Trini as Menalippe braids the side of her hair, her long brown curls cascading down her back as she smiles at the other Amazonian women who dance around her, the bonfire in the middle of the Pit lighting the dusk covered island of Themyscira. 

Diana can't believe she's back. A mixture of emotions well up inside her, excitement at being home, happiness and over being reunited with Hippolyta, but ultimately...

Ultimately, regret. Regret over not returning sooner...

Trini adjusts the toga she’s wearing, slides the sleeve falling down her shoulder back up as Diana chuckles, nothing but love and warmth filling her heart and her body as she closes her eyes and looks up, breathing in deeply for a moment before she answers.

“She is…” She whispers. 

“You love her.” She says matter of factly, and Diana smiles.

“More than life itself. I would do anything for her.” She says, and Hippolyta watches her for a moment before she reaches out, gripping Diana’s hand in her own.

“Motherhood suites you.” She says softly, and Diana chuckles.

“I never expected to be one. But I’ve never regretted it…not for a single second. We’ve been through so much together…” Diana says, watching as Trini laughs at something even though no one is around her and Menalippe as said nothing, and Diana suspects it must be Kimberly or the others visiting her.

Those kids…she finds herself surprised at how much she misses them, at how much she wishes they could really be here with her daughter.

Trini was right, she really did adopt four other kids as her own…

“Does she talk to herself often?” Hippolyta asks in wonder as she watches Trini, and Diana smiles knowingly. 

“It’s a long story…”

“We have time.” Hippolyta says with a shrug, and Diana laughs, catching Trini’s attention, and she stands, walking over to Diana and looking down at her boots while she does. 

“I can keep this when we go home, right?” She says with a grin, and Hippolyta laughs.

“Of course. You need to take something as a reminder.” She says with a smile, and Trini grins at Diana.

“You look good in those robes.” She says, and Diana smiles down at the simple white robes held together with gold bands pinching the fabric together she’s wearing, looks back up at Trini with a warm smile.

“Thank you.”

“You can take all of this back with you, the toga, too.” Hippolyta says, and Trini looks at Diana before she suddenly turns bright red, and Diana raises her eyebrow at her.

“What?”

“Kim agrees about the toga…” She mutters under her breath, and Diana blinks for a moment before the words sink in and she roars with laughter, tears of mirth falling down her eyes as her stomach muscles cramp, and Trini slaps her thigh.

“Don’t encourage her!” She hisses, and Diana gasps for breath as she wipes her tears of laughter away.

“May I ask who ‘Kim’ is?” Hippolyta asks with a raised eyebrow, looking between the mother and daughter duo with a smirk, and Trini smiles.

“She’s my girlfriend.” 

“Girlfriend?” Hippolyta asks, frowning, and Trini’s eyes widen.

“Uh…I thought that was okay here…” She says, her voice laced with worry as she looks at Diana, who laughs and shakes her head.

“It’s not that, they just don’t use the word ‘girlfriend’ here…they’re committed.” Diana says to Hippolyta.

“Ah.” Hippolyta says, understanding shining in her eyes. Trini frowns in confusion.

“Committed? Like married? What, you guys don’t date here?” Trini asks, and Diana sighs.

“We do…kind of. It’s hard to explain. There is no concept of marriage or relationships on Themyscira…in a way, we’re all kind of married to each other. We fight together on the battlefield as a unit, a team…as one. We share a bond similar to the one you share with the others, except there’s no mental link there. It’s all just years and years of training that has brought us in tune with each other’s fighting techniques and style. As such, we develop relationships that are inseparable. Some of them are sexual…some of them are not. It’s not seen as a big deal, romance and sex and love…it’s just something that exists between all of us...and sometimes it’s stronger between two people, so we say they’re committed to each other. Truly all it is, is love. A deeper love they share for each other than the love they feel for the other Amazons.” Diana says, looking out at the other Amazons with a smile, and she chuckles when she sees Trini nod slowly.

“So…like I love Jason and Zack and Billy, but like how I don’t love them like I love Kimberly? If that makes sense?” She says with a frown, and Diana laughs and nods.

“Exactly.” Trini shakes her head in disbelief.

“It’s so different here…we’re not married, by the way. Kim and I.” She says hastily to Hippolyta, and Diana rolls her eyes.

“She doesn’t know what marriage is, Trini…” She sing songs, and Trini claps a hand to her forehead.

“Right-.”

“The point is, you love this girl, and she loves you, correct?” Hippolyta says as she stands, wrapping an arm around Trini’s shoulders, and Diana watches as Trini looks to her side where Diana thinks Kimberly must be with a soft smile.

“Yes. Very much so.” She says gently, and Hippolyta smiles as she touches Trini’s cheek.

“Then that is something special that you must never lose.”

“I don’t plan to.” Trini says, and Diana smiles and stands, touching Hippolyta’s shoulder before leaning in and pressing a kiss to Trini’s forehead.

“Are they enjoying themselves?” She asks, and Trini smirks.

“Zack’s having the time of his life. Jason and Billy just keep staring at the Amazons in awe, and Kimberly…she wants to be here. Badly.” Trini says with a chuckle, and Hippolyta blinks.

“I…”

“Ah, right, uh, well…Trini is special, mother. In more ways than one.” Diana says, staring at Trini with a raised eyebrow. Trini sighs and looks at Hippolyta.

“I’m kind of a protector of Earth as well, but I protect one thing in particular. A crystal that holds a lot of power on Earth, I’m kind of assigned to protect it from those who wish to use it for power. I’m part of a team, a different team than Diana’s-.”

“The Justice League.” Hippolyta says with a nod, and Trini watches as Diana smiles softly and stares at Hippolyta lovingly.

“Y-Yeah, that team. The team I’m part of, we share a kind of mental link. I can feel what they are feeling, and they can feel what I’m feelings. They can also sometimes visit me, and I can visit them as well....they’re here with me, right now, that’s why it kind of sometimes looks like I’m talking to myself when I’m…not.” Trini finishes lamely, and Hippolyta frowns.

“Are there men on this team?” She asks sternly, and Trini’s eyes widen.

“Well, uh…well, yeah there is, but you can trust them, I promise!” 

“Mother, I thought you threw that ridiculous rule out a long time ago.” Diana says with a roll of her eyes, and Hippolyta grins.

“I did.” She says simply, and Trini looks between Diana and Hippolyta before she crosses her arms over her chest.

“Oh, I see, so playing cruel jokes on me is a family thing, is it?” She growls, and Diana laughs loudly and ruffles her hair.

“I’m sorry, my darling.” Hippolyta says with a chuckle, and Trini huffs.

“They weren’t here to hear it anyway.” She grumbles, and Diana grins.

“You have to admit, it’s funny.” Diana says.

“Is not.” Trini grumbles.

“A little funny…” Diana teases, and Trini rolls her eyes, but smiles all the same. 

The festivities continue, Hippolyta, Menalippe, and all the women cheering and dancing and playing music with instruments, and Diana eventually joins them, grabbing Trini’s hand and leading her out toward the Amazons before introducing some of them to Trini. 

“This is Euboea, she trained with me vigorously. Always pushed me to be better.” Diana says warmly, and Euboea smiles at her before bowing her head to Trini.

“Pleased to meet you, young one.”

“This is Artemis, one of our strongest warriors.” 

“And biggest…” Trini says, gazing in awe at the six foot tall woman that smiles down at her.

“This is Venelia, Hippolyta’s right hand, and-.”

Diana stops short and her heart pounds against her chest.

A woman with long brown hair that curls down her back makes her way through the crowd and stands next to Venelia, her green eyes bright with the fire that lights the Pit as she watches Diana with soft eyes.

“Diana…” She says simply, and Diana can hardly breathe as memories flood her mind of the woman before her, laughter that echoes through the hallways, breathless whispers and the touch of soft skin…

“Mom?” Diana shakes her head, willing her memories away as Trini looks up at her in confusion, and Diana clears her throat before she looks back up at the woman before her.

“Trini…this is Helena.” She says, her voice somehow calm despite the way her heart is pounding against her throat, and Helena smiles as she takes Trini’s hand in her own.

“An honor to meet you, Trini.” She says warmly, and Trini smiles as she looks between the two women with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s good to see you, Helena.” Diana says, forcing herself to push her feelings aside and smile as Helena steps forward. 

“Not as good as it is to see you.” She whispers, and she leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to Diana’s cheek as Diana sucks in a breath and holds it, her cheeks turning bright red despite herself.

Trini is watching her in shock as Diana chuckles nervously and grips Trini’s hand. 

“Come, you must be tired-.”

“No, I feel fine, Helena is it?” Trini says, a gigantic smug grin on her face as she looks Helena up and down, and Diana groans and pulls Trini toward her, lifting a hand in goodbye to the other women as she walks away, and Trini pushes her away lightly, laughing loudly as she takes in Diana’s disheveled appearance.

“Okay, you have to tell me who that was!” Trini exclaims, and Diana shakes her head.

“No one.” She says stiffly, and Trini scoffs.

“As if! You turned into a tomato back there, who is she?” Trini says, and Diana sighs, tries not to smile as more memories bubble to the surface of her mind.

“A…warrior. An Amazon, just like the rest of them.” She says, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“And?” She presses, and Diana sighs again.

“And…a friend.” She finishes lamely, and Trini smirks.

“Oh yeah? Were you two, uh…committed to each other at some point?” She teases, and Diana rolls her eyes despite the blush threatening to take over her entire face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She says, but the grin that lights her face is impossible to hide as Trini jumps up and down and suddenly digs her heels into the ground.

“I knew it! Mom, no, come on, we gotta go talk to her-.”

“Trini, stop it!” Diana says, pulling her forward, but Trini uses her Ranger strength to pull her back slightly toward the Amazons again.

“Mom, come on, I wanna meet your ex-girlfriend-.”

Diana yanks her forward and lifts her up and over her shoulder, and Trini cries out before she slaps Diana’s backside.

“Drop me!” She yells.

“Never!” Diana yells back, laughing as Trini kicks her legs desperately to loosen her hold.

“Mom!” Diana whistles loudly in an effort to ignore her, continues walking back toward the Royal Cathedral as Trini eventually slumps and rests all her weight on Diana, huffing when her stomach digs into Diana’s shoulder.

“You know, I’m gonna speak to her eventually.” Trini says, and Diana chuckles.

“Perhaps. But not tonight. Tonight you are tired.”

“Am not.”

“Trini, you’ve been rubbing your eyes the entire night and yawning.” Diana says, and Trini grumbles.

“Have not.” She mutters, and Diana rolls her eyes as they walk through the doors to the entrance of the Royal Cathedral, the torches on the wall lighting their way.

“Can you put me down now?” She grumbles, and Diana chuckles before resting her back down on the ground, and Trini straightens her toga before gripping Diana’s hand in her own.

“Mom, why don’t you want me to talk to Helena?” She asks softly, and Diana watches her for a time before she sighs and nods.

“Come…when we get to the room, we’ll talk.”

Diana leads her past the room that she and Hippolyta spoke and up a flight of stairs until they reach another hallway, and Diana takes her through the room on the right.

The moonlight filtering in through the window manages to light the room despite the unlit torches, and Diana walks toward the gigantic bed in the middle of the room against the back wall, sitting down on it gently as Trini flops down beside her with a groan.

“I’m exhausted.” She sighs, and Diana hesitates before she leans down and presses a kiss to Trini’s forehead.

“Another time then-.”

“No! No, I wanna talk. Come on.” Trini jumps up, her eyes wide and alert, and Diana chuckles before she bites down on her lip with hesitation.

“Okay.” She stands and moves over the suitcase, opening the zip of one of the pouches on the side, and she pulls out the photograph Bruce gave her all those years ago, the one of her and Chief, Charlie, Sameer and Steve, all of them side by side…

Her fingers close around Steve’s watch, and she feels the tears that brim her eyes before she sniffs them away and stands, making her way over to Trini.

“There’s something I’ve never shown you…something I thought would be too heavy to talk about.” Diana says, sitting down in front of Trini. Trini watches her intently as Diana lays the photograph and the watch down in front of her.

Trini looks down at them before looking up at Diana.

“May I?”

“Of course.” Diana says with a smile, and she runs her fingers through Trini’s hair as Trini lifts the photograph to her eyes, exposing it to the moonlight to see it better.

“Is that…”

“Me? Yes. Do you remember the story I told you about when I first got here?”

“Yeah, of course. You fought with those guys…and Steve.” Trini says, her expression growing soft as she utters the name of Diana’s lost love. Diana feels her heart pound, but she nods and smiles.

“That photo was taken after our first victory…we rescued a village from General Ludendorff. The villagers wanted a photo, so we gave them one. That’s Charlie…he was a sniper, a man suffering from the violence he’d witnessed replaying in his head on a constant loop, but a man who sang to the high heavens to drive the madness away…Sameer, a reluctant war hero. He told me he wanted to be an actor, taught me that everyone has their own battles…Chief, he was a profiteer. Didn’t care for the war, only what it would gain him, until he was right in the middle of it. And-.”

“Steve.” Trini says, touching the photograph where Steve’s face is, a small smile lighting her face as she looks up at Diana.

“You’ve never shown me a photo of him, I thought one didn’t exist. He’s handsome.” She says softly, looking back down at him. Diana smiles.

“He was…in more than just looks. He was…beautiful. A selfless man, brave and loyal and sometimes, reckless. But what made him reckless was his willingness to throw himself in danger in order to save the world. And ultimately he died because of it.” Diana feels her tears fall before she can stop them, and Trini looks up at her sadly.

“You’ve never really spoken to me about him like this.” She whispers, gripping Diana’s hand, and Diana smiles and grabs his watch resting on the bed, holds it out for Trini to take.

“The only thing I have left of his is that. A watch. I remember him telling me what it was, and I said it was silly that he should live his life based on what a small object told him.” She chuckles at the memory, wipes her tears away before she lets out a shaky breath.

“I sometimes stay up at night wondering what kind of father he would have been to you…” She whispers, her heart breaking at the thought of Trini as a child running into the arms of Steve Trevor, his blue eyes ablaze and filled with love, and Trini looks at her with a trembling bottom lip as she places the watch in Diana’s hand and closes her own hand on top of it.

“You loved him.” She whispers, tears falling down her face, and Diana can’t help the whine that escapes her before she nods.

“It's been a hundred years, and yet it still hurts. I did…part of me will always love him. And I think you would have loved him, too.”

“Do you think he would have loved me?” Trini asks in a small voice, and Diana smiles, leans in and presses a kiss to Trini’s forehead.

“He would have adored the very ground you walked on, little one…” Trini smiles, and she shakes her head before wrapping her arms around Diana’s neck in a hug.

“I’m sorry, I’ll shut up about Helena now.” She mumbles, and Diana chuckles, buries her head in Trini’s shoulder before wrapping her arms around her waist tightly.

“Don’t be sorry, little one. You’re curious about your mother’s past. It’s about time she told you more about it.” She says, and Trini pulls away with a warm smile before pressing a kiss to Diana’s cheek.

“I’m glad you met him. He really changed you. I wish I could’ve met him. Do you think…do you think we could visit his grave when we get back to London? I remember you telling me he was buried there…” She says, and Diana runs her fingers through Trini’s hair with a nod.

“There was only ever a tombstone, no body was found to bury, but of course we can.” She says, and Trini smiles tiredly, her jaw straining with a held back yawn, and Diana chuckles.

“Mmm, you’re sleepy. I’m not surprised, did you get much sleep on the plane?” Diana asks, and Trini sighs.

“I did, I think. I don’t know, I was using the link to sleep next to Kimberly, but I think it took more of a toll on me than I realized. I am pretty beat.” Trini says, and Diana frowns.

“You need to find out more about this link.”

“I know…I will. I think the others are heading to the ship now to train, actually, Kim told me they would be.” Trini says, and she suddenly grows slack in Diana’s arms, her expression blank as she blinks slowly, and Diana watches her in shock before she suddenly returns, blinking rapidly and looking up at Diana.

“Yeah, they are. I might join them for a bit before we sleep, if that’s okay?” She says, and Diana sighs.

“Alright, but I want to make sure you actually rest, Trini. You can’t spread yourself between two worlds.”

“I know. I won’t.” Diana presses a kiss to her hair.

“You blanked for a second there. You just went very still, is that normal?”

“Apparently. Billy says when he was visiting me the morning Menalippe showed up, his mother thought he was having a stroke.” Trini says with a chuckle, and Diana frowns.

“Hmm…you need to learn to control it.”

“I will. Hopefully Zordon will teach us how in this session.”

“Hmm…” Diana frowns, and Trini laughs.

“You still don’t like him, do you?”

“No, and I never will.” Trini rolls her eyes, but places the photograph and the watch in Diana’s hands, giving her a gentle squeeze before she nods.

“I need to shower, uh…is there a shower?” Trini asks with a frown, and Diana chuckles.

“Through that door. And there’s no showers here, only baths.” She says, pointing to the door beside the bed on the left, and Trini jumps from the bed before she walks over to her suitcase and opens it.

She pulls out shorts and a simple singlet shirt, grabs fresh underwear and a new bra, and Diana watches as she walks through the door, waits for the moment she sees it-

“What the hell? This is the coolest bath ever!” Trini yells, and Diana laughs loudly.

“The water continuously runs, so you don’t have to do anything! Just step inside!” She yells out, and the next thing she hears is Trini cheering before there’s the sound of water splashing, and Diana rolls her eyes.

“A five year old trapped in a seventeen year old’s body.” She mutters, but she falls back against the bed with a smile, her heart feeling light as she holds up the photograph and watch, her fingers brushing over Steve’s face gently, Hippolyta’s words of pride at Diana’s efforts echoing in her mind as she sighs.

“I hope you’re proud of me, too, Steve.”

-

“Wait, what?”

Trini blinks up in shock at Zordon, looks over at the others as they mirror her expression of shock and confusion, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“Trini just said ‘wait, what’, and uh, I second that!” She says, and Zordon sighs.

“I thought it was obvious.” He mumbles.

“Obvious my ass!” Trini huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.

Trini had linked herself to Kimberly as soon as she’d finished her shower back in Themyscira, had joined the others in getting to the ship, at as soon as Jason had asked Zordon how they can begin to block each other out of the link, Zordon had hit them with an answer that still had them all reeling.

“So we just…we just power down the Power Coins?” Billy repeats, and Zordon sighs.

“I still have much to teach you.” He mutters.

“Yeah, clearly! We didn’t even know we could turn them off!” Jason says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his Power Coin. 

“Not turning them off, but powering them down. It takes a lot of focus and a lot of energy, but it is possible. But it’s dangerous. As soon as you power down your Coins, you leave yourselves vulnerable. You’ll still have your powers, but you won’t have access to your armor.”

“But it’ll block us out from each other?” Jason says, and Alpha 5 steps forward.

“Your Power Coins are linked to you just as much as you’re linked to each other. They essentially are you, so, power them down and you’ll lose the connection.”

“Is there any other way?” Kimberly asks, and Zordon sighs.

“No. The link is too strong to simply fade away or die out. The bond you all share is linked to the emotions you have for each other. The reason this bond has formed between you all is because solidified within your souls is the love you share as a team. Together, you are more, but now, you are one. In order to block each other out, you must focus on your own energy, tap into your own emotions and your own thoughts, but the link will prevent you from doing so. It’s a self-defense mechanism, a way of keeping yourselves safe in battle by always staying in tune with what the other Rangers are feeling. Power down the coin, and you cut the link off, effectively forming the walls around your mind to keep the others out during…private moments.” Zordon says, clearing his throat as he does, and Trini turns bright red and is suddenly thankful that Zordon can’t see her.

“Can’t we just…I don’t know, do the focusing on ourselves part of it?” Jason says with a frown, and Alpha 5 suddenly pipes up.

“How often do you think about being a Ranger, or the other members of your team?” He asks, and Zack laughs loudly.

“Uh, every minute of every day, it’s not something you can kind of ignore, being a superhero and all.” He says with a grin, and Billy nods.

“I second that.” He says, and Jason sighs and nods.

“Yeah.” Trini and Kimberly nod, and Alpha 5 chuckles.

“Well therein lies your difficulty. Being a Power Ranger is who you are now. No going back.”

“We don’t want to, anyway.” Jason says, and Kimberly grins as Billy nods.

“Yeah, definitely don’t want to!” He says, and Zordon nods down at him.

“Don’t worry, you’ll still have your powers when the Coins are down-.”

“I know, but no access to our armor…it’s dangerous.” Jason says, and Trini sighs.

“It’s not like we don’t share everything with each other already, Jason. I won’t be powering down the Coin unless…well…”

“She’s with me.” Kimberly says sheepishly, and Trini sighs as her cheeks burn.

“Yeah.” She mumbles, and she tries her best to ignore the buzz of emotions that whirl inside her, anxiety from Zack, excitement from Billy, resistance from Jason, and-

Trini groans, looks over at Kimberly, who stares back at her with wide eyes.

“What?” She says, and Trini shakes her head, curls her hand into a fist.

Lust. Pure lust is emitting from Kimberly and Trini closes her eyes and tries her best to block it out completely.

“Are you doing that on purpose?” She hisses, and she opens one eye to look at Kimberly, watches as she grins sheepishly.

“I’m sorry, but I miss you.” She pouts, and Trini groans.

“Can you try and miss me less?”

“I’m trying-.”

“Hey, stop with the lovey dovey feelings, Kimmy, we can feel it.” Zack teases, and Trini growls under her breath at him.

“Leave her alone, she’s trying.” She hisses.

“Anger, I’m feeling anger-.” Jason says.

“Ditto!” Billy calls out.

“I’m five seconds away from powering down my Coin!” Trini growls, and Jason laughs loudly.

“Alright, alright. So we only power down our Coins during private moments…sounds like a plan. How do we go about turning them off?” 

“Turning them off means losing your powers completely. Powering it down is something else.” 

“Okay, so how do we power them down?” Jason reiterates, and Zordon nods.

“Place your coin on the ground, Jason.” Zordon says. Jason does as he’s told, and Zordon nods.

“Now tell it to stay.”

“What?” Jason snaps his head back up, and Alpha 5 nods.

“Go on!”

Jason looks at the others in hesitation before he clears his throat and looks down at the Coin.

“Uh…stay?” 

“More power than that, Jason! Believe the word!” Alpha 5 says, and Jason sighs.

“Stay!” He yells. The Coin does nothing, and Jason looks up at Zordon.

“It’s not doing anything.” He says, and Alpha 5 and Zordon look at each other-

And then they’re laughing, the lights on the wall sparking with color as Alpha 5 grips his robotic knees.

“Ah, we’re just playing with you, Jason! But that was funny!” He says, and Trini blinks in shock as Kimberly and Zack roar with laughter.

“Did Zordon just make a joke?” Billy says, looking at Trini in confusion and she shakes her head in disbelief.

“I’m feeling the same way as you, buddy.”

Jason glares up at Zordon, his face redder than his armor as he picks the Power Coin up off the ground and rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, ha ha, very funny. Do you wanna tell us how we power them down now?” 

Zordon chuckles, but eventually calms himself down and nods.

“Hold the Coin in your hand, and focus on bringing the energy within it down. It may take some practice, but it’s about keeping your emotions and your thoughts calm. Once the light within the Power Coin grows dim, and the energy within it simply begins to hum instead of buzz, you’ll know that the Power Coin is down.” 

“And the fact that we won’t be able to visit each other.” Billy says, and Zordon nods.

“Yes.” 

“And how do we power it back up?” Jason asks.

“Once it's powered down, in order to keep it from coming back to life, you mustn't make contact with it. As soon as you do, the Power Coin will sense the touch of its Ranger and come back to life. Very simple stuff!” Alpha 5 says.

“Not really. I can’t believe you thought that was obvious.” Kimberly grumbles at Zordon and Alpha 5 lights up.

“Ay yi yi, it is obvious!” 

They all eventually head to the Pit to train, and Trini observes the others as they fight in the Pit, picks up on a few new techniques before she presses a kiss to Kimberly’s cheek.

“I should go, I need to sleep.”

“Okay, babe.” She smiles, kisses Kimberly’s lips tenderly and rolls her eyes when she hears Zack grumble.

“Stop it.” Jason calls out, and Trini sighs.

“When I get home, we’re powering down our Coins straight away.” She says, and Kimberly laughs.

"Don't get startled if you can't reach us. We've gotta practice this powering down stuff!" Jason says, and Trini nods.

"Alright." 

"Go babe, you're tired. I can feel it." Kimberly says, and Trini sighs before she presses another kiss to her lips and closes her eyes, focusing on herself.

When she opens them, she’s back in Themyscira, Diana’s arms wrapped around her waist, and she smiles and settles back against her.

“How did it go?” Diana grumbles out sleepily, and Trini chuckles.

“Apparently all we have to do is power down the Power Coins.” 

“I didn’t even know they could be powered down. Is yours even with you?” Diana asks, and Trini rolls her eyes and digs into the pocket of her pajama shorts, holds it up and watches as it glows golden in the moonlight.

“Of course it is. It never leaves me.” She says, a wave of gratitude hitting her as she grips the Coin in her hands, and Diana snuggles closer to her, pressing a kiss to her hair.

“You should rest, little one. You have a big day tomorrow.”

“I do?” Trini says in confusion, and Diana grins, closing her eyes as she does.

“Mmm…training with the Amazons.” 

“No freaking way!”


	12. seems that I have been held in some dreaming state, a tourist in the waking world never quite awake (no kiss, no gentle word, could wake me from this slumber, until I realize that it was you who held me under)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Blinding" by Florence + The Machine.
> 
> this chapter is shorter than my previous ones, sorry guys, i kinda wanted to leave it on a cliffhanger =D hope you guys like this chapter, comments are appreciated, and also, if you don't know already, i have a tumblr! it's movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com! You can keep up to date on updates for this fic and other fics I'm writing or planning on writing on there! Thanks guys!

“Again?”

Trini ignores the stabbing pain in her side as she winces and stands straight before raising the sword in her hands again.

Her heart is pounding, sweat is covering every inch of her body, but Trini’s not standing down, not by a long shot.

“Again.” She confirms, her entire body tensing as she turns to face Menalippe once more.

Menalippe’s brow furrows, and she lifts her own sword with ease as she steps forward, sword swinging, and Trini barely manages to lift hers before the swords clash, the impact causing Trini’s entire body to throb with pain as the sound echoes in the sky, and Trini doesn’t even have time to wince before Menalippe’s swinging around and attacking her right side.

Trini throws the sword down to meet Menalippe’s, and once again, barely has time to react before Menalippe swings around-

And the ice cold metal of her sword meets Trini’s throat, Trini freezing like a statue as soon as the ice-like cold hits her skin, goosebumps erupting over her neck at its touch.

“Dead.” Menalippe says stiffly.

Trini grits her teeth, swallows the lump in her throat as she looks up, blinking sweat out of her eyes as she makes eye contact with Diana, who is observing the training session with a frown, beige armor covering her body and her hair in a ponytail as she grips the spear in her hand and makes her way over to them.

“Again.” Trini says, and Diana shakes her head.

“No, Trini. Enough.” Trini bares her teeth, looks at her mother as Zack, Jason, Billy and Kimberly all trail behind her, Kimberly almost running as she comes to a stop in front of her.

“Are you okay?” She whispers. Trini shakes her head and looks at Diana more firmly.

“Again.” She repeats, and Diana crosses her arms over her chest.

“Trini, stop.” Trini enters a stare down with her mother, ignores the many times she’s lost this particular fight in the past and clenches her fists as her cheeks turn red, but not from the exertion of training.

She’s been training with Menalippe and the other Amazons for over two hours now, her body is throbbing with pain, but Trini can see how the Amazons look at her with a sense of disappointment.

They were expecting the daughter of Diana, Princess of Themyscira to be as good as them in battle.

But Trini, despite being a Power Ranger, despite training non-stop every day under Diana and Zordon for over five weeks, is showing no signs of being an Amazonian warrior.

Five weeks is nothing compared to almost a thousand years of elite training, and Trini knows that, but she still can’t help but feel like she’s supposed to be something more than this.

“Babe, maybe you should stop, we can all feel your exhaustion…” Kimberly asks softly, reaching out to touch her shoulder, and Trini shies away from her, her eyes never leaving Diana.

“I’m fine. Again.” Trini says through gritted teeth, and Diana kisses her teeth in anger.

“Trini-.”

“I said again!” She growls, and she raises the sword again, her ribs aching from when Menalippe aimed a kick at her earlier and her body on the verge of collapse as Menalippe exchanges a glance with Diana, who clenches her jaw before stepping back.

“You’ve got heart, I’ll give you that, young one.” Menalippe says, and then she cries and swings her sword over her head. Trini steps back and to the side, avoids it before she swings her own sword forward toward Menalippe’s neck, but she easily swipes to the right and flings her sword upward, deflecting Trini’s sword before she jumps up and swings it back down.

Trini barely manages to lift her sword, and the angle is all wrong, because the second Menalippe’s sword makes contact with her own, Trini hears a loud popping sound and her shoulder suddenly begins to burn as if it’s on fire, and she hears a cry escape her lips, the sound echoed by four other yells of pain as Zack, Kimberly, Jason and Billy cry out in her pain.

“FUCK!” She drops her sword, her hand immediately raising to touch her shoulder and pop it back into place, but Menalippe is still attacking, still rushing forward and Trini’s eyes widen as she scrambles back-

There’s the sound of metal clanging together before there’s a burst of energy, and Trini is closing her eyes from the light that emits from the right of her.

She blinks rapidly, groans at the pain in her shoulder as she opens her eyes to see Diana standing in front of her, slowly lowering her arms from the crossed position they’re in, the bracelets of submission shining from the energy that was just used as Diana turns to face her, nothing but worry shining in her eyes.

“What happened?” Trini can feel bile rising in the back of her throat as she hisses in pain.

“My shoulder…” She gasps out, and Diana clenches her jaw and turns to glare at Menalippe, who’s some twenty feet away from them on her back and sitting up slowly with a wince.

“You could have killed her!” Diana roars, glaring at Menalippe with nothing but pure rage, and Menalippe bares her teeth.

“If she’s injured in battle, the enemy won’t stop! You know that!” She yells, and Diana suddenly grabs Trini’s sword from the ground, a harsh cry escaping her lips.

“You want a fight, I’ll give you one-.” Diana growls, and panic rises in Trini as she reaches out for her mother.

“MOM!” Trini grabs her with her injured arm, hissing as her whole arm shakes with pain, and Diana turns to face her, drops the sword before reaching for Trini’s shoulder.

“Here…” She feels it, fingers probing tenderly as Trini whimpers in pain, and she bares her teeth, takes a deep breath in as Diana sighs.

“It’s dislocated.”

“Pop it back in.” Trini groans, closing her eyes as Diana grips her elbow.

“Ready?” Trini nods, and Diana runs a hand through her hair before gripping her shoulder.

“One-.” She yanks her shoulder forward before pushing it to the left, and Trini cries out at the pain that shoots through her body like electricity before her shoulder begins to throb gently, and she clenches and unclenches her fist, gains full access to her arm again, and she lets out a sigh of relief and sags against Diana, reaching her uninjured hand out to grip her shoulder and push herself back up.

“I’m good…” She breathes out, and she looks up at her fellow Rangers with wide eyes.

“Fuck, did you guys feel that too?” Trini asks, and Kimberly winces as she nods and rolls her own shoulder.

“Yup. Sure did, crazy girl.” Zack says, and Trini sighs as Menalippe makes her way toward them.

“These Amazons don’t go easy, do they?” Jason mutters, and Kimberly grumbles as she rubs gentle circles into Trini’s back.

“I’m going easy on her, Diana. You know I could make this harder.” Menalippe says with a sigh, and Trini looks at Jason with a glare.

“That’s ironic.” He says blankly, and Trini sighs as Diana crosses her arms over her chest.

“Do you call attacking her when she’s vulnerable going easy on her?” She growls. Menalippe sighs.

“I told you-.”

“I don’t care if an enemy wouldn’t stop, you aren’t an enemy! You should have stopped!” Diana barks, and Trini grips Diana’s hand in her own tightly.

“Mom, stop it. I’ve got this.” She says firmly. There’s no way she’s stopping, not until she proves to the Amazons that she’s worthy-

“Trini, your body is covered in bruises.” Diana says, and Trini looks down at her arms, sees the blue and black flesh marking her tanned skin as she looks up at Diana sheepishly.

“So? I always have bruises. I’m a Power Ranger.” She says stiffly, and Diana watches her for a long time before raising an eyebrow.

“I know why you’re doing this, Trini. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone-.”

“I’m not.” Trini says hastily, the lie escaping her easily, and Diana narrows her eyes at her.

“You’re my daughter, Trini. I know you almost as much as you know yourself.” Trini grips her hand, squeezes it and nods once.

“Then you know that I have to do this.” Trini says firmly, and Diana watches her for a long time before she sighs and turns to look at Menalippe.

“You injure her again, and you and I will be the ones fighting.” She says, and Menalippe rolls her eyes.

“Of course, dear niece of mine.” Diana growls, and Trini chuckles and pushes her lightly.

“Go on, mama bear. Your cub is fine.” Menalippe grins at Trini, and Trini frowns as she looks down at her sword on the ground in hesitation.

“What is it, young one?” Menalippe asks, and Trini sighs.

“Look, I’m not gonna lie, I’m finding it hard fighting with a sword that’s almost bigger than me. Do you have anything smaller?” She asks, looking up at Menalippe, and Menalippe frowns in thought before she stabs her own sword into the ground, and Trini glares at it when it comes up to her chest while in the ground.

Damn her and her height…

“A smaller sword…hmm…” Menalippe makes her way toward the weapons case, and Diana looks at Trini before she follows her, Trini and the other Rangers trailing behind her slowly.

“Don’t worry, T, I’m sure they’ve got swords for tiny people in there.” Zack says with a grin, and Trini glares at him.

“I’m gonna kick your ass when I get home-.”

“These!” Trini looks over just as Diana calls out, a grin on her face as she holds up two swords the length of Trini’s forearm.

“Oh wow, they really do have swords for tiny people!” Zack says with a roar of laughter, and Kimberly rolls her eyes and shoves him.

“They’re daggers, you idiot. Go on, Trin.” She says with a smile, and Trini lets out a deep breath before she makes her way over to Diana and takes the daggers out of Diana’s clutches.

The hilt is small, and they almost look like Sai’s, except the metal part of the dagger is thick at the hilt and curves into a point at the top. As soon as the daggers are clenched into her fists, Trini feels a wave of calm spread over her, her arms no longer dragging the weight of a full length sword, and she looks up at Diana with a grin.

“I feel better with these.” She breathes, and Diana smiles softly.

“Do you know how to fight with daggers, little one? Did Zordon teach you?” She asks, and Trini shakes her head.

“No…but I can learn. I’d rather fight with these than a sword.” Diana nods, and she looks at Menalippe with a raised eyebrow.

“You never specialized in daggers.”

“No. Helena did.” Menalippe says with a smirk, and Diana sighs.

“She did…” Trini feels a spark of excitement course through her at Helena’s name, but she remembers the promise she made her mother the night before after talking about Steve, and she sighs.

“Can you teach me? I wanna learn from you.” She says to Diana, who blinks in shock before she smiles softly.

“If you want…but Helena is very well trained in fighting with daggers, Trini.” 

“Well, you can teach me the basics and she can teach me the rest.” She says with a grin, and Diana chuckles, leans in and ruffles her hair.

“Alright, little one.” 

Menalippe smiles and hands Diana her sword.

“I’m not needed anymore, then.” She says, and Diana stares at her for a long time before she sighs and wraps an arm around Menalippe in a hug.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you. You’re not forgiven for almost beheading my daughter, though.” 

“You know I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think she was capable. She’s a fighter, Diana. Just like you.” Menalippe says, and she winks at Trini before letting Diana go and smiling at them both.

“Enjoy.” She says, and she walks away, joining the other Amazons training across the field as Diana lifts Menalippe’s sword in her hands.

“Now, little one…where were we?” Zack grins widely.

“Oh, this is gonna be good.” 

Training with Diana is infinitely better and easier than training with Menalippe. Diana knows Trini’s style inside out, and Trini knows Diana’s style inside out, so they end up working together rather than against each other while still managing to fight properly, Trini dodging Diana with ease before striking forward with one dagger, which Diana blocks easily before Trini spins around and attacks her with the second dagger, and the others watch on in glee, alternating between cheering on Trini and cheering on Diana.

“What side are you on?!” Trini yells eventually, and Jason laughs loudly.

“Both!”

“Good, remember to move your feet!” Diana yells, and Trini steps back quickly with a grin as Diana stabs her sword at her.

“How come training with you is easier?” She says breathlessly, and Diana chuckles as they continue fighting.

“Because! Menalippe is used-to her warriors-knowing what to do! She hasn’t-had to teach someone from scratch-for over-two hundred years!” Diana pants out between swings of her sword, which Trini deflects at every turn.

Eventually, after almost another full hour of training, Trini collapses onto her hands and knees, gasping for air as her head spins, and Diana immediately throws her sword down and kneels down beside her, resting a hand on her back and rubbing gentle circles into it as she nods.

“Enough for today, little one.”

“Yeah, I think so, too.” Trini gasps out, and she looks up at the other Rangers as they all kneel down beside Diana.

“You guys learn something?” She asks breathlessly, and Jason nods.

“Yeah, a lot, actually, but we’re more worried about you. You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m good…this shit is just really intense.” Trini breathes, and the second she adjusts her position, her whole body throbs with pain and she groans, wincing as Kimberly sighs.

“You need to rest. Let your mom take you back to the room to sleep it off.”

“It’s the middle of the day, Kimberly, I’m not going to sleep now.” Trini grumbles, and Diana nods.

“I don’t know what Kimberly said, but whatever it is, I agree. You need to sleep. Come on.” Trini sighs, but lets Diana lift her up gently, and she grips the daggers in her hands with a frown.

“Can I keep these?” She asks, and Diana laughs.

“You want to keep a lot of things from here, don’t you?” 

“It’s not every day we come to Themyscira!”

Trini eventually retires back to the Cathedral with Diana, and Hippolyta is there to greet them, a warm smile on her face as she wraps an arm around Trini’s shoulders.

“How did you go training with the Amazons, young one?” She asks, and Trini grumbles.

“They kicked my ass-.”

“She did well. As well as can be expected of someone who has never trained with Amazons before.” Diana interrupts, and Trini rolls her eyes as Hippolyta chuckles.

“I did not doubt you for a second.” She says, giving Trini a gentle squeeze. Trini sighs. 

“I have a lot to learn.” 

“All in good time.” Hippolyta says, leading them into a room that has Trini’s mouth dropping open as she takes in the table of food. 

Chicken and fruit and bread and wine litter the wooden table in front of her, and Trini looks up at Diana with a grin.

“You know the way to my heart.” Diana laughs and ruffles her hair.

“Go eat, little one.” Trini runs toward the table, her stomach grumbling as Diana hangs back and watches her with a warm smile.

“She’s hard on herself.” Hippolyta says with a frown, and Diana’s smile fades as she sighs.

“She wants to be better than what she is…I can understand that.”

“But it worries you.” Hippolyta says, and Diana bites down on her lip, worrying it with her teeth before she nods.

“I’m afraid she’s doing it for the wrong reasons. To make me happy when it should be about her, not me…”

“She’s your daughter, Diana. She will always want to impress you…you were the same once.” Hippolyta says softly, running a hand through Diana’s hair, and she sighs into her mother’s touch and nods.

“I know…I just wish she knew that she never needs to impress me, that I’ll always love her more than words can express…that every day with her is a blessing for me.” Diana says, her voice thick with emotion as she watches Trini bite down on a strawberry with a happy grin on her face, and Hippolyta leans in and presses a kiss to Diana’s temple.

“I have missed you for over a hundred years, Diana…” She says, her voice breaking slightly, and Diana turns to look at her mother with sad eyes filled with grief as Hippolyta swallows the lump in her throat and gives Diana a watery smile.

“I’m sorry, mother…I should have come back sooner…”

“Hush, child. You are here now, and that is what matters.” Hippolyta holds Diana in her arms, and Diana relaxes into her mother’s touch, breathes in her scent, salt water and iron as she sighs.

She’s older now, no longer the Diana that Hippolyta remembers.

But even Diana knows that there will never be a day where she doesn’t need Hippolyta’s comforting touch, or reassuring words…

“I love you.” Diana says softly, and Hippolyta presses a kiss to her hair.

“And I love you, my child…more than you can ever know.” 

“Everything okay?” They pull away from each other at the sound of Trini’s voice, and Diana wipes away her tears with a chuckle and wraps her arms around Trini from behind, pressing a kiss to her hair.

“Of course…everything is perfect.” 

-

Day two of training is complete and utter torture.

Trini’s entire body is throbbing with pain, and even though she trains with Diana, it feels like no matter how easy she goes on Trini, it isn’t easy enough.

Every movement causes pain to electrify Trini’s body into a spasm, her body shaking as the muscles in her back, arms, calves and thighs cramp, but Trini pushes through it, keeps fighting even though Diana and Kimberly tell her she should stop.

“Babe-.”

“Don’t, Kim!” Trini growls, stepping forward in an attempt to strike Diana with her daggers, and Diana dodges it easily, swipes her sword underneath Trini’s chin gently and lifts her head with it as it lolls down heavily.

“Little one, maybe we should-.”

“Don’t say we should stop! Keep going! Again!” 

The other Amazons watch with impressed looks on their faces, which only spurs Trini on as she attack Diana again, jumping off the ground and striking down, and Diana rolls to the left easily and suddenly grabs a spearhead near her, throwing it at Trini, who simply dodges to the right and runs forward, her leg kicking out at Diana’s face, which she blocks with her hands before rolling back and grabbing her sword to deflect Trini’s daggers as they strike down toward her face. 

Trini growls and does a spin kick as Diana stands, and steps back, stumbles a little over her own feet, and Trini can feel her heart drop and the excitement rush over her at the opening-

She strikes with her daggers, Diana raises her hands protectively and accidentally bumps the bracelets of submission together.

Trini sees a blinding white light before she feels her body being thrown back, and before she can even think, she feels a pain in her chest, sees another bright light, yellow instead of white, can feel something crawling over her skin, latching onto it, first painfully, then seamlessly-

She spins in mid-air and lands on her feet, bracing her body with one arm, and when she looks down, her arm is covered in her Yellow Ranger armor.

“Whoa!” Trini stands, looks down at her body, sees the Yellow Ranger armor over every inch of her skin as the visor forms over her face, and she looks up at Diana in shock as Diana runs over to her, her heart pounding in her chest painfully.

“Trini! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good!” She calls out, focusing her energy on pulling her visor and helmet back, and Trini looks to the right to see the other Rangers running up to her.

“Dude, that was sick!” Zack cheers.

“You were like flying in mid-air and then the armor just came on all over your body and then you flipped in mid-air it was so cool!” Bill says, clapping his hands with excitement, and Trini looks down at her armor covered hands in shock once more before she lets out a breathless chuckle of disbelief.

“Well, at least now we know I can morph even though I’m half a world away-.” 

“Diana!”

Trini turns at the sounds of the other Amazons, and Trini sees them watching her with looks of shock and amazement, eyeing the Yellow armor with intrigue, and she’s suddenly overcome with the need to cover the armor from sight as Diana sighs and raises a hand.

“We’re fine! Everything’s fine!” She calls out before looking at Trini anxiously.

“I didn’t mean to do that-.”

“Mom, it’s okay, I’m alright.” Trini says, smiling down at her armor as she feels her body begin to relax with the yellow armor pressed against her skin, melding with it and forming a protective barrier around her…

She’s not gonna lie, she’s missed this…

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Trini watches as Menalippe, Euboea and Artemis walk over with frowns on their faces.

“What is this?” Menalippe asks, eyeing Trini’s armor, and Diana sighs.

“Her armor.”

“It’s so strange…what is it made of, child?” Artemis asks, reaching out to touch her armor, and Trini hesitates.

“Uh, well, it’s…”

“How did we never ask Zordon what our armor is made of?” Kimberly mumbles, and Jason rolls his eyes.

“We were busy saving the world, give us a break….”

“I’m not sure.” Trini says lamely, and Artemis raises an eyebrow.

“Uh, Trini…” Billy says, and Trini turns to look at him.

“What-oh…” Trini watches as her armor slowly begins to fade, the Yellow slowly unraveling from her body as Trini feels the Power Coin burn in her pocket, and the Amazons watch in awe as Trini watches it all fade with a frown.

“Hmm, so maybe it doesn’t stay for too long when I’m half a world away…” She mutters, her heart sinking.

“Why, you didn’t do that?” Jason asks, and Trini shakes her head.

“No.”

“Weird. I’ll talk to Zordon about it.” Jason says, and Trini looks up at Diana.

“Would’ve been cool to train with it.”

“It’s alright, training is over for the day.” Trini blinks in confusion.

“But-.”

“Don’t bother, we’re done, Trini.” Diana says with a sigh, and Trini is about to open her mouth to argue when someone interrupts.

“I’ll train with you, Trini.”

She turns toward the voice, sees Helena smiling down as she comes to a stop beside Artemis, her body covered in similar beige armor as Diana, and Trini throws a glance at Diana, watches as her cheeks turn red and she averts her gaze.

“Uh, yeah…I mean, sure, if…mom, are you okay with that?” Trini mumbles, and Diana looks up at her with a sigh.

“Are you sure you’re up for it?”

“I’ll go easy on her Diana, I promise.” Helena says softly, gripping the spear in her hand tightly, and Diana frowns and looks at Trini intently.

“It’s your choice.” She says softly, and Trini hesitates before she looks at Helena, takes a deep breath in, and nods.

“Alright.” 

Helena smiles softly, moves forward and touches Diana’s shoulder before her hand brushes down Diana’s arm gently, and Diana almost seems to melt into her touch as she closes her eyes and breathes in deeply before she steps aside and lets Helena take over, and Trini watches as she steps back with a frown as Helena observes her.

“You’re doing well with those daggers, Trini.” Helena says with a soft smile.

“They feel good in my hands.” Trini says with a shrug, and Helena chuckles.

“It helps for the smallest of us.” Trini raises an eyebrow, looks her up and down with a smirk.

“You’re not short.” She says simply.

“She’s the shortest out of all of us.” Euboea says with a chortle, and Helena rolls her eyes.

“Doesn’t make me any less capable of defeating you, Euboea.” She grumbles, but Trini is still staring at her in shock.

“You’re…you’re the shortest of the Amazons?” Trini manages to get out, and it’s only then that she realizes that Helena effectively comes up to Diana’s shoulder standing straight, and yet, she’s still a few inches taller than Trini.

It’s silent for a few moments before Trini hears him.

Zack is dying of laughter, and Trini glares at him angrily.

“Zack-.”

“You’re-so-short!” He gasps out, and Trini looks at Kimberly, who nods once, understands exactly what Trini’s saying before she throws her fist out and connects with Zack’s arm.

“OW!” He yells, and Trini grins at Kimberly as she winks back at her.

“Come, I’ll show you a few techniques.” Helena says, pulling Trini’s focus away from the Rangers, and Trini nods and follows Helena over to a clearing, looking back at Diana with a small smile as Diana gives her one back, her brow slightly furrowed in concern.

“We’ll focus on striking, alright? Do you have a preference for which arm you use?” Helena asks.

“I’m right handed.” Trini says with a shrug, and Helena nods.

“Then your right hand will be your main fighter. The left you’ll use for technique and balance, the right will be the striker, the enforcer if you will. Let us begin.”

Helena teaches her a few strikes with the daggers, even helps her move her body more fluidly, and teaches her to use her right hand with brute force and her left hand with skill and grace. But Helena also shows her different hip movements and thrusts with the dagger that involve the whole body rather than just her arms, and Trini’s thankful that she takes it slow, doesn’t rush anything as her body throbs with pain even more the longer they train.

But this is less fighting and more learning skills, and Trini is glad that she’s not falling back or gaining another bruise on her skin as Helena is gentle and patient with her, smiling every time Trini nails a move.

“Good, good…use the weight on your knees-there you go…”

Helena eventually pats Trini’s shoulder with a smile, takes the daggers from her hands before ruffling her hair gently.

“You’ve done well. You should rest your body. It doesn’t bode well to continue battering your body.”

“I don’t wanna stop.” Trini grumbles, reaching for the daggers again, and Helena chuckles and moves them away.

“Why are you so eager to train, little one?” She asks, and Trini stares, blurts out the first thought that enters her mind before she can stop herself.

“My mom calls me that.” She says blankly.

“I’m sorry?” Helena says with a frown, and Trini stares for a long time.

“I…nothing, I just…I don’t know how much longer Diana and I will be in Themyscira, and I guess I just wanna learn as much as I can.” She says simply. 

Helena sighs, wraps an arm around her shoulders and squeezes her lightly.

“I wish you could both stay forever, but I know you have lives outside of Themyscira…” She says, and Trini looks up at her.

Her words are filled with grief, but the smile on her face tells another story, and Trini frowns before she purses her lips.

“You really missed my mother, didn’t you?” She asks despite herself, and Helena smiles sadly, her eyes far away as she sighs.

“I did…” She says softly.

“So…what’s the story between you two?” Trini asks, her cheeks turning bright red with guilt more than anything, and she can’t help but look back to see if Diana’s listening, but she’s talking with Menalippe far away from them, her back turned to them, and Trini looks back at Helena, eager for her response.

Helena bites her lip in hesitation before sighing.

“I don’t think I’m the one who should tell you that, Trini. Your mother will tell you when she’s ready, I think…”

“I already kinda deduced that you two were…you know…committed, or whatever.” Trini says, nonchalantly waving a hand, and Helena laughs.

“You know more than I thought…”

“It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

“Well…like I said. Your mother will tell you when she’s ready...”

“Okay.” Trini says with a sigh, and Helena smiles before she holds the daggers out for Trini to take.

“You should keep them. They suit you well.” And Trini smiles and takes them from her.

“Thanks.”

“Do you mind me asking…your armor…how did it form over your skin like that?” Helena asks, and Trini sighs.

“It’s a long story. You know how you guys were sent to protect mankind from Ares?” Helena nods slowly, and Trini grips her daggers with a nod.

“I’m a protector of mankind, too, kind of. There’s a crystal that has a lot of power that I keep safe. Part of being the protector of it is having access to the armor.” Trini says, and Helena frowns.

“How strange…”

“Stranger than Greek Gods forming an island of women warriors to defeat one of their own?” Trini asks with a raised eyebrow, and Helena laughs loudly and nods in agreement.

“Ah…fair point, little one.” 

-

Trini runs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair with a sigh, sinks further into the water of the bath as she feels her muscles relax under the scalding water, and Kimberly chuckles and touches the hand in her hair.

“I wish I could join you in the bath…” 

“You can…” Trini says, smiling as she closes her eyes, and Kimberly groans.

“Don’t tempt me, we’ve got three other boys in our mind all the time as well, remember?” 

Trini sighs, opens an eye to peek at Kimberly.

“Sorry.” She grumbles. Kimberly laughs before she pushes herself up on the edge of the stone surrounding the bath and leans over it to kiss Trini tenderly.

Trini sighs into the kiss, pulls away when Kimberly tries to deepen the kiss, and Kimberly whines and rests her forehead against Trini’s. 

“God, I miss you…”

“I miss you.” Trini whispers, and Kimberly kisses her softly before moving back and staring at her with a frown.

“So…this Helena chick…” She says, and Trini’s eyes widen.

“Right? She and Mom have got some serious history…” Trini says, and Kimberly nods.

“Mmm…maybe it didn’t end well?” Kimberly says, and Trini shrugs.

“Maybe…I don’t see why it would though…”

“You should ask her.” Kimberly says, and Trini sighs and shakes her head.

“She’ll tell me when she’s ready. Besides, we spoke about Steve the other night, like actually spoke about him. She showed me a photo of him that I never even knew she had…and a watch of his that he gave her.”

“Oh wow…” Kimberly says, her eyes wide with shock, and Trini nods.

“He was really important to her. I don’t think she’s ready to start something with someone else just yet…”

“Mmm…” Kimberly runs her fingers through Trini’s hair, and she sighs into her touch, leaning her head back as Kimberly leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“At least you two can talk to each other…” She mumbles, and Trini’s eyes snap open.

“Why, what’s happened with your mom?” She asks with concern, and Kimberly sighs.

“Nothing. She just got a little upset the other night about still not having met you.” 

Trini freezes.

Her heart pounds in her chest and she claps a hand to her forehead.

“Fuck! Kim, shit, I forgot completely, I’m so sorry-.”

“No, shh, it’s alright! I told her you’re still pretty hurt from the attack, I couldn’t exactly tell her you went halfway across the world when you’re supposed to have a serious injury…you can meet them when you come back.” Kimberly says with a smile, and Trini sighs.

“Of course, we’ll do dinner, or something…”

“Shh, don’t stress, baby…” Trini smiles at the pet name, presses a kiss to Kimberly’s lips before she suddenly hisses and pulls back.

“Speak of the devil…” She mumbles.

“Huh?” Trini says in confusion, and she blinks, and suddenly, she’s in Kimberly’s room back in Angel Grove.

Trini looks around wildly, not quite sure where she is as Kimberly’s mom appears at her doorway, a frown on her face as she walks up to Kimberly on her bed with a sigh.

“The school called. They’ve managed to work around the parts of the school that were damaged, everything’s clear. They expect you to be back next Monday.” 

Trini and Kimberly exchange a glance, and Kimberly simply nods.

“Okay.” She says simply, and Kimberly’s mother stares at her for a long time.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Kimberly says with a nod, and again, her mother stares.

“What?” Kimberly whines, squirming under her gaze, and her mother doesn’t say anything, simply walks over to her, leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“This Trini girl…does she make you happy?” She asks suddenly. Trini feels her cheeks turn bright red, her heart pounding furiously, but she can feel the sudden wave of love and gratitude that emits from Kimberly as she smiles lovingly and nods.

“Yes. Very.” She says simply, and Kimberly’s mother sighs.

“Alright.”

“That’s it?”

“Mmm…” And with that, she walks over, closing the door behind her, and Kimberly sighs and collapses back onto her bed.

“Fucking hell…”

“That was awkward.” Trini says, and Kimberly laughs and props herself up on her elbows, her shirt riding up a bit and exposing her stomach slightly, and Trini fights the urge to lean down and kiss her way up Kimberly’s stomach to her lips, instead settles for sitting down beside her.

“School next week…you think you’ll be back before then?” She asks, and Trini sighs.

“I don’t know. Hang on…come back with me?”

“Of course.”

Trini focuses her mind, closes her eyes and opens them to find herself back in Themyscira in the bath, and she stands and grabs a towel, wrapping it around her body and is about to step out of the bathroom when she hears voices on the other end of the door.

“…knows more than you think. She knows we were committed at one point.” 

Helena’s voice.

Trini looks at Kimberly, who frowns, but leans her ear against the door at the same time as Trini opens the door a crack and peeks out, Kimberly suddenly bracing herself against Trini’s shoulders to look through the crack in the door as well.

Diana and Helena are standing in front of each other, Helena looks sad, while Diana looks exasperated, her arms crossed over her chest as she sighs.

“She’s observant, always has been.”

“Clearly…why haven’t you told her what happened between us?” She asks softly, and Trini watches as she reaches up and tucks a lock of Diana’s hair behind her ear.

Diana sighs into her touch, suddenly reaches up and cradles Helena’s face in her hands gently.

“I don’t want Trini to lose the view she has on love…” Diana whispers, and Helena looks at her in shock.

“What do you mean?” Helena asks. Diana sighs again before she smiles fondly. 

“She has a girlfriend, you know…a beautiful girl named Kimberly back home, and the love they have for each other…it’s like what we had, Helena. Perhaps even stronger. I don’t…I want to protect her from heartbreak. I don’t want her to think that all love is doomed.” Diana says, and then she suddenly blinks rapidly as tears fall down her face.

“I don’t want her to feel how I feel about love…I want to give her a chance.” She croaks out, and Trini’s about to stand, about to burst through the door and hug her mother when Kimberly digs her nails into Trini’s shoulder in protest.

“Trini, don’t…give them this moment.” Kimberly whispers, and Trini looks up at her in hesitation as Helena brushes Diana’s tears away gently. 

“Why do you think love is doomed?” She whispers, and Diana whimpers as she shakes her head.

“Because we fell apart, and Steve…Steve was taken from me…and I don’t want Trini to feel my pain, to feel like love is only going to cause her pain when it can also give her happiness-.”

“Diana, shh, listen to me…we didn’t fall apart. We decided to focus on our training, we both did. There’s nothing wrong with that. And I found someone else eventually, as did you…”

“I know, Helena, but Trini won’t understand.”

“How do you know that if you won’t tell her?” Helena says gently, and Diana bites down on her lip in hesitation.

“I don’t know…” She whispers, and Helena chuckles as Diana laughs weakly before she leans down and rests her forehead against Helena’s. 

“Diana…I really have missed you.” She whispers. 

“I missed you, too.” She says softly. 

Trini’s holding her breath, can feel Kimberly’s nails digging into her skin as Helena brushes more of Diana’s tears away before she leans up and captures Diana’s lips with her own.

Diana’s frozen for a few seconds before she closes her eyes and kisses her back, deepening the kiss as she holds Helena’s face in her hands, and Trini has no idea how to react, is completely frozen as Kimberly lets out an excited giggle above her.

“They’re kissing!” She whispers gleefully. Trini blinks rapidly, and Kimberly looks down at her.

“Are you okay?” She whispers.

“Y-Yeah, I just…how could they give up on each other so easily? Look how much they care about each other, I don’t get it…” Trini whispers back, and Kimberly sighs.

“Sometimes you don’t have a choice…” She says, and Trini raises an eyebrow at her.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Kimberly rolls her eyes.

“It means sometimes you don’t want to give up on someone, but you don’t have a choice.” 

“And when have you had to do that?” 

“Well I didn’t exactly want to end things with Ty, what we had was good-.”

“Seriously?” Trini says, anger suddenly bursting through her, her voice raising a pitch.

“What?”

“Ty? Of all fucking people?” Trini growls, and Kimberly rolls her eyes.

“Trin-.”

“Fine, then go back to him if he was such a perfect boyfriend.” Trini hisses before she can stop herself, her anger getting the better of her in the split second of a moment, and Kimberly’s expression suddenly turns stony.

“Seriously? Did you forget that Ty cheated on me with Amanda?”

Trini’s heart drops.

She blinks in shock, and Kimberly scoffs in disbelief.

“Yeah, cute. Get over yourself, Trini, seriously.”

And with a blink of an eye, she disappears.

“Shit.”

Trini barely has time to process what just happened before the door is being pulled open, and Diana looks down at her with wide eyes, Helena hanging behind her with a flushed look on her face as she raises an eyebrow at Trini.

“What are you doing?” Diana asks sternly. Trini wraps her towel around herself tighter and looks around the bathroom for Kimberly, but she’s nowhere in sight.

“I-.”

“Were you listening in on my conversation?” She asks firmly, and Trini wrings her hands as panic floods her.

“Not right now, mom!” 

“Why, what’s wrong?” Diana says. Trini groans and presses the palm of her hands into her eyes.

“I fucked up, I fucked up-.”

“Trini, what is it?” Diana asks urgently, and Trini shakes her head.

“I gotta see Kim, hang on.” Trini closes her eyes and focuses on Kimberly, but when she opens her eyes, she’s still in Themyscira.

She tries again, tries to tap into her emotions, but all she gets is her own anger, grief and regret pounding through her.

And it’s then that she realizes she can’t feel Kimberly’s emotions at all.

It’s like the rope that’s tethered them together since the mind link opened has been cut, and Trini, no matter how hard she focuses on her, can’t reach her.

“FUCK!” 

“Trini-.” Trini ignores Diana calling her name, focuses instead on Jason, blinks and finds herself in his room where he’s lying on his bed watching Netflix on his laptop, and he looks up at Trini’s entrance in surprise before he sits up slowly.

“Hey, I was just about to visit, I just felt a burst of anger from Kimberly-.”

“I can’t reach her.” Trini says in a panic, and Jason blinks in shock.

“What?”

“Uh, Jason! I can’t reach Kim!” They both jump at the sound of Billy’s voice as he pops up next to Jason, and Zack suddenly pops up a second later, a look of concern on his face.

“Dude, I can’t reach Kimberly-.”

“Alright, everyone calm down!” Jason yells, and he throws his laptop onto his bed and grabs his phone, instantly calling Kimberly’s number.

It rings for a long time, Trini standing right beside Jason with her ear presses against his phone, and when Kimberly’s voicemail pops up, Jason curses under his breath and jumps off his bed, reaching for a shirt as he looks up at Trini.

“I’ll head to her house now-.”

“Right behind you, man-.” Zack starts, but Billy yells out suddenly.

“Jason, your phone is going off.” Billy pipes up, and Jason looks down at it and grabs it off the bed.

“She texted me!”

He opens the text as the others crowd around him to read it, Trini’s heart pounding in her chest painfully.

_Kimmy (1)._  
_I’m fine, don’t stress. I just powered down my Coin. Xx_

Trini lets out a groan of relief and lets her tears fall as she sinks down on Jason’s bed.

“She’s okay…she’s okay…” She whispers with relief, and Jason sits down beside her and clears his throat awkwardly.

“Uh, Trin…I’m not sure if you’re aware that you’re only in a towel-.”

Trini ignores him and shakes her head.

“We had a fight. She powered it down because she’s pissed with me and she doesn’t want me to visit her.” Trini croaks out, and Jason looks up at Zack and Billy before he wraps an arm around Trini’s shoulders and presses a kiss to her forehead with a sigh.

“Just give her some space…” 

“Well I have no choice, do I?” Trini says weakly, and Jason chuckles.

“Not really, no…”

She sighs and curls into him for a moment, resting her head against his shoulder, and Jason sighs before he reaches up and wipes her tears away.

“Chin up, Trin…” She sniffs and nods once, looks up at him with a sad smile.

“Text her for me? Tell her I’ll be waiting for her with a huge apology and a free slap in the face when she’s ready.”

Jason laughs, nods once, and Trini smiles before she blinks and finds herself staring at Diana once more, back safe and sound in Themyscira. 

“What happened?” Diana asks as soon as she sees Trini is back in her own body, and Trini shakes her head.

“I said something fucking stupid, as usual. She powered down her Coin and blocked herself out of the link…” She says, and Diana’s eyes widen.

“Really? What did you say to her?” Diana says in an accusatory tone, and Trini shakes her head.

“Doesn’t matter. I always fuck up a good thing, it’s what I do. I’m going to bed.”

“Trini, wait-.”

“I’m exhausted, Mom, just…please…can you leave me alone for a bit, please?” Trini pleads, her voice shaking with emotion, and Diana sighs and exchanges a glance with Helena before she leans in and presses a kiss to Trini's forehead.

“Of course…I’m sorry.”

Trini simply nods, and Diana leaves the bathroom, but not before she hears Diana say something to Helena.

"It's already begun..."

Trini feels her heart break, and she drops her towel and sinks back into the bath, her whole body numb and her head pounding.

She’s so stupid. How could she say that? After everything Kimberly had been through with Ty and Amanda, for her to say that…how could she do something like that?

Because she’s stupid. It’s the only logical explanation she has…

She’s stupid, and when things are going good, she always has to find a way to screw it up, it’s what she does…

She always fucks up a good thing, always.

Trini lets her tears fall, and when she sinks down underneath the water, she doesn’t resurface until her lungs are about to explode from the pressure and the corners of her eyes begin to darken.

-

Trini’s not exactly sure how long she’s been crying for, only knows that the pillow underneath her head is not as dry as it was before she decided to try and sleep her anguish away, and she curls into herself a little more when there’s a knock at the door.

She considers telling whoever it is to go away, suspects it’s probably Diana, but the door opens and when she glances at it, she sees Hippolyta making her way toward her with a small smile on her face.

“What is it, my child? Diana told me you were upset…” She says softly, and Trini swallows the lump of emotion in her throat and shakes her head.

“I’m…I don’t really wanna talk about it.” She whispers hoarsely, and Hippolyta sighs before she sits down beside Trini’s lying figure and rests a hand on her arm gently. 

“Heartache is the hardest of pains to feel…something so incurable…so damaging…” She says slowly, and Trini blinks away her tears and simply nods.

“It is…” She croaks out. Hippolyta sighs.

“I wish I could take your pain away, my child…”

“I wish you could take my pain away, too…” Trini says with a watery chuckle, and Hippolyta leans in and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Heartache does not last forever, Trini. This too will pass.” She says gently before she stands and makes her way to the door, and she pauses just before she reaches it and turns to look at Trini with a small smile one last time.

“Let your mother help you, my darling. She loves you more than you know…” And before Trini can respond, she leaves, closing the door behind her as she does.

Hippolyta’s words turn over in her mind on repeat for a few minutes.

Hippolyta's right. Heartbreak won't last forever.

But she needs to get to Kimberly.

Trini fingers the bracelet around her wrist, makes up her mind in moments, and shifts, groaning in pain as she attempts to move and make her way to Diana, to let her know she's using the teleportation device to get back to Angel Grove, to Kimberly-

A wave of emotions suddenly hit her out of nowhere and she gasps, clutching her head as it pounds painfully.

Regret stands out bigger than anything, but also anger, and fear, and rage, and guilt, but most of all, sadness.

An arm snakes around her waist from behind, and she feels familiar lips press against the back of her head, and she whimpers and turns over in the bed, looks up into Kimberly’s brown eyes as a soft cry of relief escapes her lips.

“K-Kim…I've been so worried-.”

“Shh…” Kimberly whispers, running her fingers through Trini’s hair with a small shake of her head, and Trini whines before burying her head into Kimberly’s chest and holding her tightly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, I fucked up-.”

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just cut the link like that, I was just so mad…and stupid.” Kimberly grumbles, holding Trini tightly as she presses kisses to her hair, and Trini mewls and shakes her head as she presses a kiss to Kimberly’s collarbone.

“I’m the stupid one.” She says, and Kimberly chuckles before she sighs.

"You're not stupid..."

"I am. I'm fucking stupid. I'm stupid and I'm sorry."

“I can feel how sorry you are, Trin, don’t worry. We should’ve talked about it, I shouldn’t have done that…cut the link. We both fucked up. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

"Trin..."

"I can never apologise enough, Kim." She whispers, and Kimberly kisses her gently, lips soft against hers as she sighs against her.

"God, that was the worst two hours of my life." Kimberly says hoarsely, and Trini shakes her head.

"I wanna erase the last two hours of my life."

"We've never fought before..."

"No..."

"If I had just been an adult and talked to you-."

"Doesn't matter. We're talking now."

"We don't need to talk about it, Trini. Not anymore. I was angry for no reason-."

"No I was, I can't believe I said that-."

"Shh...I can feel it, Trini. Everything you're feeling. I get it." 

"I can feel what you're feeling, too." Trini whispers, tapping into the regret and anger inside Kimberly for a second, and Kimberly sighs before she kisses Trini's forehead again with a smile.

“Mmm, I can also feel your happiness…” Trini presses a kiss to her throat.

“I missed you.”

“It’s only been like an hour or two…”

“I missed you.” Trini repeats anyway, and Kimberly laughs.

“I missed you, too.” 

They’re silent for a few moments, simply holding each other, and Kimberly sighs again.

“It feels real but it doesn’t, you know?” She says hoarsely, and Trini sighs, inches impossibly closer to Kimberly as she nods.

“Yeah…your voice echoes. Rita’s did, too. And when you touch me, it feels real…so real. But I know it’s not, that’s what makes it not real, you know?”

Kimberly groans.

“Migraine worthy deduction right there, Trin.” Trini chuckles, presses another kiss to Kimberly’s collarbone.

“I miss you. The real you.”

“God, you have no idea how much I miss the real you, too. This distance is driving me crazy and it’s only been what, three or four days?”

Trini sighs, hesitates for a moment before she looks up at Kimberly.

“Do you want me to come home?” She asks softly, and Kimberly bites her lip in her own hesitation.

“Your mom is back home for the first time in a hundred years, Trin. She should enjoy more than four days here…”

“I can come back without her, remember? I was two seconds away from doing so...” Trini says, flashing Kimberly the bracelet, and she smiles.

“I know, but do you really think Diana will want you leaving without her? After everything you’ve both been through?” Trini sighs.

“True…”

“We’ll be okay.”

“Will we? That’s the first fight we’ve ever had, Kim. I think this separation is driving us apart.” Kimberly sighs and shakes her head.

“It’s not, I just…I’m frustrated enough as it is because I miss you, and mom and dad are being annoying, and now school is starting again, and I just…I guess that comment just really set me off-.”

“No, I fucked up, Kim, I shouldn’t have said that, it was low-.”

“Trini?” Trini jumps at the sound of her name, and she untangles herself from Kimberly to see Diana at the front door.

“Hey…” She says softly.

“Hey…” Trini sits up slowly, grips Kimberly’s hand in her own, and Diana notices the movement and smiles.

“Kimberly’s back?”

“Yeah. We’re okay.”

“I’ll leave you two alone then.”

“Thanks, mom. I-.”

“Uh, Trin?” Trini stops short, looks at Kimberly as she frowns and looks down at her hand, and when Trini blinks, she’s suddenly in Kimberly’s room, and Kimberly’s sitting on her bed with Trini’s phone in her hand.

And Bruce Wayne’s number is at the top of the Caller ID.

“Uh, do I answer it?” Kimberly says, and Trini’s eyes widen.

“Fuck, did she even tell him we were coming to Themyscira?”

“I don’t know!”

“MOM!” Trini blinks, ends up back in Themyscira, and Diana stops short at the door.

“What?”

“Did you tell Bruce we were coming here?” 

“Yes, why?”

“I gave my phone to Kimberly to keep safe and he’s calling it.” Diana’s eyes widen.

“I left mine at the house, dammit, I should’ve left it with Kimberly as well. Tell her to answer it.”

Trini nods once, focuses on Kimberly before opening her eyes and looking at Kimberly as she watches Trini with a frown.

“Answer it, put it on speaker.”

Kimberly does as she’s told, and clears her throat before answering.

“Uh, hello?”

“Trini? Is that you?!” Trini’s heart drops.

Bruce’s voice sounds anxious, but more than that, it’s deep.

Very deep.

Batman deep.

“Fuck.” Trini says simply.

“Uh, kind of. It’s Kimberly, Trini left her phone with me when she went to Themyscira with Diana, but Trini’s here.”

“Wait, what?” Bruce says in confusion, and Kimberly sighs.

“It’s a long story, why, what’s wrong, Bruce?”

“We kinda need Diana, some big Justice League stuff that I can’t talk about is going down, can you connect me to Diana at all?” Bruce asks urgently, and Kimberly looks at Trini in desperation.

“Stay here!”

Trini focuses back on herself, looks at Diana when she finds herself back in Themyscira and ignores the pounding in her head.

“Bruce needs you. Justice League stuff.” Trini gasps out, and Diana’s eyes widen.

“Is it urgent?” Trini winces, focuses back on Kimberly and hisses at the pain in her head as she looks up at Kimberly.

“She’s asking if it’s urgent!” Trini croaks out.

“Diana’s asking if it’s an emergency.” Kimberly says calmly, and Trini hears the sound of scuffling before she hears Bruce’s voice.

“Yeah, it’s an emergency, a big emergency!” He shouts, and Kimberly looks at Trini in panic.

“Uh-.”

“Give me a second.” Trini focuses again on herself, and this time she can’t help the cry of pain that escapes her when she finds herself back in Themyscira and her brain pounds with a searing pain, and she clutches it as Diana grips her forearms.

“Trini, I-.”

“It’s an emergency, Mom! We need to get back to our world, now!” 

“Tell Kimberly to tell Bruce we’re on our way, where is he?” Trini grits her teeth and nods, focuses on Kimberly-

“Trini, fuck, your nose-.” Trini gasps for air as her head spins, and she grips Kimberly’s hands in her own.

“Tell Bruce…on our way…where is he?” She manages to get out, and Kimberly shakes her head and looks at Trini anxiously.

“Trini, your nose is bleeding-.”

“Kim, focus! Ask him!” Trini groans, and Kimberly whimpers and grips Trini’s phone in her hand.

“Bruce, Diana said she’s on her way right now, she needs to know where you are!” 

“We’re in Gotham, we need her now!”

“Trini-.”

“I got it.”

“Wait-.” Trini focuses again on herself, but this time, when she finds herself back in Themyscira, she’s falling back against the bed, her whole body giving out underneath her as Diana yells out and grabs her, lifting her off the bed and into her arms.

“Trini! Trini, what’s happening, you’re bleeding-.”

“Gotham. In…Gotham…” She manages to get out, and the last thing she hears is Diana’s voice yelling her name before everything goes black.


	13. how far out have I got to move? oh i've got to get next to you (but you're so far away, searching for a heart another world away)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Heart Attack ft. Owl Eyes" by Flight Facilities. 
> 
> I think I'm gonna lay off the drama for the next few chapters after this cause...phew. I'm putting my boys and girls through the DAMN RINGER. Also I'm sorry if there's spelling errors or if the formatting is bad, I'm surviving on about three hours of sleep every night for the last week =(  
> anyway, hope you guys like this one, comments are appreciated, and as always, you can also leave me messages or prompts at movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com!

Diana Prince has had many moments of panic and pure terror in her life.

Her first was when she had decided to brave the trenches of the warzone in Germany in 1918, her body trembling despite each step she took towards the danger, her only goal to save those in harm’s way.

Her second had been when a young woman had pulled her into an alleyway, begging desperately for her help before dying as she begged Diana to look after the daughter she had just lost her life delivering.

Her third had been only a few days ago when said daughter had died right in front of her eyes, her body cold beneath her hands as she held her close and begged for her to come back before begging death to take her as well…

For Diana Prince, life was not worth living without her daughter.

Her third moment had ended in happiness and pure, unadulterated belief when Trini had opened her eyes and had breathed in new life.

Her fourth moment of panic and pure terror starts with her believing that if she does what she did before, she’ll be okay. That Trini will once again spring to life and be alright once more.

So she holds Trini in her arms and begs her to come back, refuses to acknowledge that her body is cold beneath her hands as she brushes her fingers through her hair and tells herself that she’s okay.

But she’s not okay.

The fourth moment of panic and pure terror is descending quickly into complete and utter madness.

“TRINI!” 

She’s limp in her arms, completely lifeless as Diana shakes her, slaps her cheek, and screams her name so loudly her voice box tears, and Diana knows she’s not dead.

Can feel her pulse thrumming against her fingers when she touches her neck. 

But she’s not moving. 

For the last five minutes, Diana has been trying everything possible to bring her daughter back to consciousness, but nothing is working.

She’s slapped her lightly, shook her, yelled at her, pinched her, done everything imaginable, but Trini remains unresponsive.

And this, for Diana, is worse than her daughter being dead.

She’s there, but she’s not there.

And now Diana has no way of knowing what’s going on, can’t contact the other Rangers for help on her daughter’s condition, has no idea what’s going on back home with the Justice League, only knows it’s urgent and she’s needed immediately.

But how can she even begin to worry about what’s happening in Gotham when Trini is in some kind of coma, unresponsive and limp in her arms?

“Diana, what do we do?” 

Helena’s voice is soft, and Diana doesn’t respond, can’t think properly, can only hold Trini close to her body as she whines and trembles and begs for help from someone, anyone-

“Diana! Focus!”

Her mother’s voice is sharp, cracking through the air like a whip that has Diana looking up at her in desperation, tears falling down her face as her heart pounds against her chest painfully, but Hippolyta stays as passive as ever, her expression filled with determination as she leans down and grips Diana’s face in her hands.

“You are her mother, and you are a warrior! You do not have time to break down and stop fighting! Slow down, breathe, and think.” She says forcefully, her grip only growing tighter with each word, and Diana swallows down her tears, closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in as her grip on Trini tightens…

She needs to get Trini back to the other Rangers, that much is obvious.

“I need to get home. I need to get my daughter home.” 

“And how will you do that? Think, Diana, there’s no time to panic. She needs you.” Hippolyta says calmly, and Diana takes another breath in, focuses her mind and her energy on coming up with a solution…

Her team needs her. Her daughter needs her. 

But her daughter needs her fellow Rangers more.

Diana can’t help her.

They can.

Her eyes snap open and she looks at Menalippe beside Helena.

“I need you.” She whispers.

“Of course.” Menalippe says without hesitation, standing straight, and Diana sniffs away her tears and rushes over to her suitcase, opening the zipper to the hidden compartment underneath all her clothes to grab her sword, her shield, and her armor.

“We’ll take the boat back to London, back to the human world. I’ll push it from beneath the water to get us there faster. Once we do, I’ll find a phone and call a friend to take you and Trini back to Angel Grove. He’s fast…very fast. Can run across the entire globe in less than ten minutes. He’ll get you there in no time.” She says quickly, shoving on her armor as fast as she can.

“And what will you do?” Menalippe asks, and Diana takes a deep breath in, knows what she has to do in order to get back to Gotham.

It’s not something she does often, one of the few powers she has that she can’t really control that well, the one power that only comes out from within her when her emotions are haywire and out of her control. She’d felt it for a brief moment before she had killed Rita, when Trini had…

Diana shakes her head, wills the memories away, focuses instead on how she’s going to use this ability, but using it now when she needs to stay level headed and focused…

She knows it isn’t going to be easy. But it’s her only option.

“I’ll fly to Gotham.” She says simply, and Hippolyta looks at her with her eyes filled with pride.

“You’ve learned to hone that skill?” She asks softly, and Diana frowns.

“No. It’s still difficult for me. But I don’t have time to doubt myself.” 

“If you can fly, why not fly Menalippe and Trini back to this place, this…Angel Grove?” Helena asks, and Diana blinks back her tears and shakes her head.

“If I go back to Angel Grove, I will never leave. Not while Trini is like this. And my team needs me.” She says, and a look of understanding shines in Helena’s eyes as Diana turns back to Menalippe.

“Once you get there, try to find those friends of hers you met before we left. If they’re not at my house, then go to the mines on the outskirts of the town, that’s where their ship is. As soon as you find them, you tell Kimberly to call Bruce on Trini’s phone, I’ll answer. You tell her to stay on the line with me no matter what! Do you understand, Menalippe?” She says in a rush, moving her Aunt Antiope’s headband over her forehead to keep her hair out of her eyes. 

“Yes.” Menalippe says with a curt nod, and Diana stands and makes her way over to Trini, tries her best not to cry before lifting her daughter up into her arms with ease and looking back at their suitcases in hesitation.

“Leave those here. We’ll come back for them.” Diana says softly, looking at Hippolyta in anguish.

She doesn’t want to leave her mother so soon…she only just got back to Themyscira, back home.

God, how did this all descend into chaos so quickly?

Her mother stares at her in her armor with a look of pride in her eyes before she reaches out and touches the headband on her head, a look of grief flashing in her eyes as she remembers her dear sister…the fiercest and bravest Amazon they’ve ever known…

“Antiope has kept you safe all these years. She will keep you safe once more.” Hippolyta whispers. Diana smiles softly, nods as she leans in and rests her forehead against Hippolyta.

“This isn’t goodbye. Not like last time.” She whispers, and Hippolyta smiles.

“You’ll return. I know you will. Now go save your daughter.” Hippolyta whispers, moving her hand up to touch her cheek before she looks down at Trini in sadness and leans down to press a kiss to her forehead.

“Go save my granddaughter, Diana.” She whispers, brushing Trini’s hair back from her face. Diana lets out a low whine and nods once, her heart breaking at Trini remaining as unresponsive as ever, her eyes fluttering slightly beneath her eyelids…

“I’ll return with word of what’s happened as soon as I can.” Menalippe says, touching Hippolyta’s shoulder, and Hippolyta simply nods, lets the tears in her eyes fall with her head held high as she presses a kiss to Diana’s temple.

“Go, my child.” 

Diana’s lip trembles, but she adjusts her hold on Trini before nodding toward her shield and her sword.

“Grab those for me, please, Menalippe. We must go now.” She rushes out of the door, two sets of footsteps following behind her-

Wait, two sets?

She stops short, turns around to see Helena following after her, Diana’s sword and shield in her hands and her face set in determination.

“What are you doing?” Diana blurts out in bewilderment, and Helena raises an eyebrow.

“I’m coming with you.” She says, as if it’s the most simple thing in the world.

“What? No, I-.”

“We don’t have time to argue, Diana. Let’s go.” 

Diana frowns, but sighs and continues on her way out of the Cathedral and out into the night of Themyscira, the moonlight illuminating their path as the Amazons that guard the island during the night watch with a frown as Diana races out of the courtyard before their eyes fall on Trini, and they all rush forward in horror, all of them running to her aid, and  
Diana can’t help but feel a wave of gratitude.

She was only here for four days, but Trini left an impression on the Amazons that Diana can’t help but feel proud of.

“Princess Diana-.”

“We will explain later! We must go!” Menalippe yells, and the women listen immediately to their general, all of them bowing their heads but still watching in concern as Diana races down toward the Cliffs where the beach is, her hold on Trini never loosening as they descend the stone steps down onto the beach with ease.

As soon as they reach the boat, Menalippe sets to work, unhooking the rope around the dock as Diana jumps onto the boat and rests Trini against the seated area around the stern, and Helena sits down and rests Trini’s head in her lap, brushing her hair back gently as Diana stares at her in despair.

“I’ll protect her, Diana. You get us back to this place called London.” Helena says softly, and Diana looks up at her, her expression softening.

Helena, who knows nothing about the real world, willing to thrust herself into it with no experience and no knowledge in order to get Trini back home safely…

“Thank you.” Diana whispers, gripping Helena’s hand tightly, and she smiles sadly before pressing a kiss to Diana’s hair.

Diana looks down at Trini, bites down on her lip to stop herself from crying as Trini’s face remains as passive as ever, her eyes closed and her breathing shallow as Diana leans down and kisses her forehead.

“You’re going to be okay, little one…” She says hoarsely.

“Diana! It’s unhooked!” Menalippe yells, jumping onto the boat as she carries the rope to tether the boat with her, and Diana nods once and makes her way to the edge of the stern.

“Steer us!” She says, pointing at Menalippe, before jumping off the boat and landing in the water.

The moment the ice cold water hits her skin, she trembles, swims her way toward the back of the boat regardless of the temperature of the water and surfaces with a gasp before looking above her.

“Are you ready?” She yells.

“Ready!” Menalippe yells back. 

Diana pushes, breathes a sigh of relief when the boat moves with ease as she kicks her legs against the water to push them faster, and she’s thankful that it takes no effort at all for her to swim whilst pushing the boat further and further away from Themyscira, her heart panging with guilt that she’s leaving her home behind after only such a short amount of time.

But she will return.

And she’s not letting another hundred years pass before she does again.

They pass through the shield that hides Themyscira from view within seconds, Diana pushing them with everything she has as she says a silent goodbye to her home before only kicking her legs faster and harder, desperate to get to London as soon as possible.

_Hold on, little one, I’ll have you home in no time. Please, just hang on…_

-

“Kim, breathe…”

“We can’t reach her, why can’t we reach her…”

Kimberly shrugs Jason’s hand off and continues pacing up and down the entrance of Diana and Trini’s home, her whole body trembling and her hand inching closer and closer to her phone to book tickets straight to London.

She’ll go through the entire North Sea to find Themyscira, she doesn’t care.

Trini is hurt, Trini is sick, or dying, or worse-

The front door bursts open, and Kimberly looks up anxiously, lets out a cry of despair when it’s Billy and Zack that walk through.

“Zordon said…the connection must have…been strained, Kimberly.” Zack pants out breathlessly.

“What? What does that mean?” Kimberly begs, and Billy sighs.

“I think it means that because we kept visiting her all the time, it exhausted the link because of how far away she was. You saw how her armor disappeared within minutes. Zordon says distance matters, being so far away from the morphing grid must have played a part in her being so tired, and the armor disappearing, and the link being severed…”

“No sign of them still?” Zack says, and Jason shakes his head.

“Nothing yet-.”

“Wait, so what Zordon is saying is that it’s our fault! We kept visiting her all the time in Themyscira instead of leaving her alone, and it broke her brain!” Kimberly says anxiously, and Zack rolls his eyes.

“Can you blame us? She’s in Themyscira, Kimberly.” Zack mutters, and she glares at him before Billy shakes his head.

“It must’ve been on Trini’s end. You said she was going back and forth between you and Diana, right? To do that from half a world away, it makes sense that it had an impact on her.”

“Okay, but I don’t care about that Billy! I care about what’s wrong with her now! What did Zordon say?” Kimberly begs, and Zack nods once.

“He said as soon as she gets back here, she should be okay. We just gotta get her to the ship and put her on her pedestal on the morphing grid, it should fix the link and whatever damage it caused to her.”

“’Whatever…whatever damage it caused to her’? What the hell does that mean!?” Kimberly cries, 

“Kimberly, she’s gonna be okay-.”

“You don’t know that, Jason! You didn’t see her! Her nose was bleeding, she was in pain!” Kimberly says hoarsely, tears falling before she can stop them, and Jason grips her shoulder, squeezing tightly as he stares at her intently.

“Diana’s with her, Kimberly. They’re probably on their way back here now.” Jason says softly, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“We don’t know that! We don’t, fuck…we need to find a way to get to them-.”

“Can we use the teleportation device?” Jason asks suddenly, and Zack sighs.

“I asked Zordon that, he said without the connection to Trini, it would be impossible to use it to get to her.”

“THEN WHAT THE HELL IS IT GOOD FOR?!” Kimberly screams, her whole body shaking with the effort as Jason, Zack and Billy all jump at her sudden outburst.

“Kim, calm down!” Zack says, and Kimberly bites down on her lip, shakes her head as more tears fall.

She feels helpless, completely useless.

The girl she loves is half a world away in trouble and she can’t do anything to save her.

“I can’t, I…we don’t know what’s happening with her, we don’t know if she’s okay, or if she’s hurt-.”

“She’s with Diana, Kimberly. She’s gonna be fine.” Jason says again, as if he’s reassuring himself more than he’s reassuring Kimberly, and Kimberly simply shakes her head, continues pacing.

“We have to go to London. Jason, please…” 

“Kimberly, with what money? We can’t just book tickets out of nowhere-.”

“I’ve got the money Diana gave me, we can use that.” Zack says, and Kimberly looks at Jason, her eyes filled with tears and grief as she grips his shirt in her hands tightly.

“Please, please, Jason, please…” She begs softly, and he feels his heart break as he grips her wrists and pulls them off his chest, nodding once.

“Okay, Kim…we’ll wait for another hour. If they don’t show up, we’ll go. I promise.” He whispers, and she nods once, whines softly as Jason pulls her in for a hug, brushing his fingers through her hair as he presses a kiss to her forehead.

The next forty minutes are torture.

Jason is the only one with a level head, and he feels like he’s been thrown back in time to the second battle with Rita, watching Trini die all over again as the others begin to settle into this new reality without her, except this time it’s worse.

It’s worse because they don’t know where Trini is, or how she is, or what’s happened to her.

Zack grips his hair every once in a while, trying his best to blink back tears as he continues to look up at the clock, counting down the minutes until the hour is up as if he’s prepared to drive to the airport and get to London as soon as possible.

Billy wrings his hands and continues looking at Jason every minute and thirty seconds, a frown on his face and his eyes darting back and forth anxiously, as if he’s expecting Trini to just pop up out of nowhere and tell them she’s okay.

Kimberly is inconsolable.

Jason simply holds her, tries to get her to calm down, but her body only shakes more violently with each passing minute that Diana and Trini don’t show up. 

“Jason…” She whimpers at the half hour mark, and Jason presses a kiss to her hair.

“She’ll be here…they’ll be here…any second now…”

Jason’s hope is only fading the longer time goes on…

Until finally, finally…

There’s a loud clap of what sounds like thunder, and Jason sees a red flash burst through the living room before he’s blown back by a strong gust of wind, and his grip on Kimberly tightens as fear strikes him into a standstill, his body frozen as he hears Zack and Billy yell out.

“JASON!”

He opens his eyes, blinks rapidly at the small strikes of red lightning that still seem to flash around the living room before his eyes focus on what’s in front of him.

Menalippe with Trini in her arms.

And The Flash gripping Menalippe’s bicep before he lets her go and looks around at the young Rangers around him.

“Huh, so you guys are the Power Rangers?” He says with a grin, and Jason blinks in shock before he feels Kimberly practically rip herself from his arms, a loud sob of relief escaping her. 

“TRINI!”

She runs straight toward Menalippe, who looks a little green as she walks Trini over to the couch before laying her down on it with shaking hands.

“She’s been unconscious ever since Diana called us to her room in a panic.” Menalippe says hoarsely, still swaying slightly from what Jason suspects is The Flash’s running, and Jason looks up at The Flash to see him looking down at Trini with concern.

“Hey, I can’t stay, I’m kinda desperately needed in Gotham but…save her for us, will you? I’m not lying when I say she’s kind of a big deal in the Justice League.” The Flash says, and Jason nods.

“We’ve got her. Go.”

“Oh, wait, Diana told me to tell Kimberly, which I’m guessing is you, to call Bruce on Trini’s phone immediately. She said call her and don’t break the connection no matter what.” The Flash says to Kimberly, who doesn’t take her eyes off Trini as she brushes her hair back from her face.

“Okay.”

“Good luck guys.” The Flash takes off once more, Kimberly yelling out as she falls forward against Trini from the force, and Menalippe growls under her breath.

“That was the worst experience of my life, and I’ve fought in wars.” She grumbles.

“How is she?” Jason asks Kimberly, and she touches Trini’s skin, shakes her head as she looks up at Jason.

“Her skin is warm, and her heart beat is strong-.”

“She’s getting better then, she was cold the entire way here.” Menalippe says, bending down beside Trini, and Jason looks up at Billy and Zack before nodding.

“She must be getting better now that she’s closer to the ship. Come on, Kim, I’ve got her. We’ll take her to the ship.”

“Okay…” Kimberly hesitates before she steps back, and Jason easily lifts Trini’s small frame into his arms, refuses to look down at her expressionless face, the memories of her cold and dead on the ground after Rita had killed her too fresh in his mind-

“Jason, come on, man. Focus.” Zack says softly, gripping his shoulder, and Jason nods once.

“She’s gonna be okay. Let’s go.” 

“I’m coming with you.” Menalippe says, and Jason nods.

“Yeah, of course.” He carries Trini out of the house toward Kimberly’s car, the setting sun dousing them in orange rays of light as he takes the keys from Kimberly’s shaking hands. Kimberly takes Trini out of his arms and crawls into the backseat, pulling Trini into her lap as she does. Billy and Zack lift Trini’s body into their own laps as Menalippe takes the passenger seat next to Jason, and he takes off as fast as he can, desperate to get to the mines as he ignores the speed limits and hopes desperately that no cameras catch him. 

“Kimberly, call Diana.” Menalippe says, and Kimberly nods before reaching into her pocket for Trini’s phone.

As soon as the phone lights up and she sees Trini’s phone background, now a picture of the two of them kissing, Kimberly ignores the tears that well in her eyes and unlocks it, opening her contacts and scrolling down to the name ‘Bruce Wayne’.

“Billy, give me your phone. It’s the only one that’s waterproof and I have to stay on the line with Diana.” Kimberly says, and Billy digs into his pocket before handing it to her.

“Right…I gotta get around to waterproofing all your phones…” He mutters, and Kimberly barely pays attention, starts putting in Bruce’s number before calling it.

It barely rings for a few seconds before Kimberly hears her voice.

“Kimberly, please tell me it’s you-.” 

Kimberly whines at the sound of Diana’s voice, a flood of relief sweeping through her as she lets out a shaky breath.

“It’s me, it’s me, Diana! God, it’s good to hear your voice…” Kimberly breathes.

“It’s good to hear your voice, too. Is Trini alright?”

“Menalippe just got here with her, we’re taking her to the ship now.”

Kimberly tries her best to ignore the sounds of battle in the background, finds herself worrying for Diana despite herself as Diana grunts loudly before replying.

“Will she be okay?”

“Zordon thinks she will be, Diana, you should focus-.”

“I can do both! Kimberly, please!” Diana yells, and Kimberly whimpers before she nods.

“She’s-she’s gonna be okay, Diana. Zordon thinks it might just be the strain of being so far away. I promise we’ll make her better, but she’ll never forgive me or you if you get hurt out there because you were distracted-.”

“Don’t you dare, Kimberly Hart! You don’t hang up this phone, you hear me?” Diana yells, and Kimberly winces and nods once.

“Okay. Sorry. I’ll-I’ll talk to you again when we reach the ship. We might not have a good connection once we’re down there-.”

“Doesn’t matter. Don’t hang up.”

“I won’t. I promise.” Kimberly sets the phone down, runs her fingers through Trini’s hair and grips her tightly with a hiss when Jason skids the car around the bend before driving it through the small bundle of trees into the mines, right next to the Cliff that leads to the ship. 

Zack and Billy are the first to jump out, and Kimberly slides out from underneath Trini’s body before hooking her hands underneath Trini’s armpits and dragging her out of the car gently.

“I got her, Kim. Talk to Diana.” Zack says, moving around and lifting Trini into his arms, and Kimberly scrambles for Billy’s phone and holds it up to her ear.

“Okay, we’re about to enter the ship-Diana?” 

Diana is yelling loudly, the sound of gunfire and metal clanging echoing in Kimberly’s ear and her heart drops.

“Diana-?”

“Get her to the ship!” She yells, and Kimberly looks at Zack in desperation.

“Go!” Zack nods and runs toward the edge of the Cliff before jumping off it, and Billy follows suite before Kimberly looks back at Jason and Menalippe.

“Follow us!” Jason says to Menalippe, and she nods once before Jason and Kimberly both run toward the Cliff and dive off it.

The rush of wind has Kimberly screaming, and as soon as she lands in the water, she swims as fast as she can through the water, desperate to get to the bottom, and her head breaks through the surfaced ceiling in no time, her body dropping down as she lands on her knees painfully.

“Fuck, ow! Diana? You still there?” Kimberly says desperately, holding the phone to her ear, and Diana is panting breathlessly before she answers. 

“I’m here!” 

“Jesus, Billy, when you said waterproof, you meant it.” Kimberly says, ruffling her hair to get rid of the water, and Billy nods.

“Not hard to do! I’ve got a better connection, too! So you don’t have to worry about losing her.” He says with a grin, and Kimberly groans in relief.

“I could kiss you, Billy.”

“Oh, I…I appreciate it, Kim, but…Trini might not like that.” He says with wide eyes, and she sighs.

“It was a joke, Billy.” She says, just as Jason and Menalippe crash down beside her. She looks at Jason before handing the phone to him.

“Stay on the line with Diana.” She says, and he nods before holding the phone to his ear.

“Diana? It’s me, Jason. Kim wants to be with Trini…” Kimberly doesn’t hear the rest of the conversation, follows Zack into the ship at a light jog as the entrance opens for them immediately, and Zack carries Trini all the way into the ship as Alpha 5 makes his way toward them anxiously.

“She’s here!”

“What do we need to do?” Kimberly asks desperately, and Alpha 5 nods as he ushers Zack toward the morphing grid.

“Just place her on her pedestal!” He says, and Kimberly looks up as the wall blinks and Zordon appears in all his pixelated glory.

“Get her on the pedestal!” He barks, and Zack sets her down to stand on her feet, grabbing one arm and wrapping it around his neck as Kimberly grabs the other.

Trini’s head lolls, but Kimberly hears her groan softly and her heart skips a bit.

“Trini? Trini, can you hear me?” She says, reaching out with one hand to touch her cheek, and when Trini doesn’t respond, she looks at Zack before nodding in confirmation.

“We’re gonna fix you, hang on, baby…” Kimberly whispers, and she grunts as she lifts Trini’s leg and places it on the pedestal.

As soon as Zack plants her other foot down on it, there’s a burst of white light and energy that has Zack and Kimberly yelling as their eyes burn, but Kimberly doesn’t let Trini go, tightens her hold as the light only burns brighter, the energy burning even more as a gust of wind picks up around them, and she feels her whole body flood with a current of electricity, feels a hand grip her neck-

The white light fades, the gust of wind stops blowing, and Kimberly looks up to see Trini blinking rapidly, her whole body swaying before she grips the railings of the pedestal and sinks forward-

“Shit, Trin!” Kimberly wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her back, and Trini collapses against her, her back against her chest as she groans in pain before her brow furrows, and she looks up at Kimberly weakly.

“Whoa.” She breathes.

“Trini?” Kimberly says hoarsely, and Trini nods, swallows loudly as she shakily tries to stand upright, and ends up swaying and collapsing against Kimberly again.

“K-Kim? What…where am I?” She croaks out, and Kimberly brushes back her hair from her face, pressing a kiss to her sweat soaked forehead as tears of relief fall down her face.

“You’re back home, baby…” She whispers. Trini groans again, grips Kimberly tighter-

“My head…” She whimpers, reaching up a shaking hand to rub her temples, and Kimberly sinks down to her knees, dragging Trini down with her before holding the young girl in her arms.

“Does it hurt?” She murmurs. Trini closes her eyes, nods and curls up in Kimberly’s lap as she runs her fingers through Trini’s hair.

“It’s pounding…” She moans, and Kimberly looks up at Alpha 5 desperately.

“Is she okay?”

“I’ll run physical and mental scans.” He says, and bright lights begin to flash from him as his eyes roam over Trini’s body, and Kimberly tightens her hold on Trini, coos softly as she whimpers against Kimberly… 

Alpha 5 scans her for almost a full minute before the bright lights fade and he looks at each of the Rangers.

“She’s alright. Her anxiety levels are high, though that’s expected. Trini, how are you feeling?” He asks, and she sighs against Kimberly before looking up at Alpha 5 with a weak smile.

“I have a headache, but…I’m okay. What happened? How did I get back here?” She says hoarsely, and Kimberly looks up at Zordon as he sighs.

“The link was strained from the distance between the morphing grid and yourself, Trini. It doesn’t help that you were technically in another world as well. I should have realized that might be a repercussion of using the link while so far away, but it’s never happened before. Although, my team never used the link while in another world, we never traveled further than a few miles from the ship…” Zordon mutters, and Trini looks up at him with a wince.

“Great…another thing you forgot to tell us.” She grumbles, and Kimberly’s hold on her tightens as anger floods through her.

“I wasn’t aware…I’m sorry, Trini.” 

“Whatever.” She mutters, and Kimberly presses a kiss to her hair as she looks up at Kimberly with a warm smile.

“Hi.” She says breathlessly. Kimberly whimpers, smiles as tears fall down her face.

“Hi.” She chokes out.

“I’m okay, Kim.” She whispers, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“I know…Jason, is Diana still on the phone?” Kimberly croaks out, looking up to see Jason already by her side and holding the phone out to her.

Kimberly takes it, passes it down to Trini, who suddenly frowns and holds the phone to her ear.

“Mom?”

“TRINI! ARE YOU OKAY-?” Trini winces, holds the phone away from her ear as Kimberly takes the phone from her hands.

“I’ve got it babe…Diana?”

“Trini!?”

“She’s okay, Diana! She’s just got a massive migraine, but I promise, she’s coherent, and she’s awake, and…she’s okay. She’s okay.” Kimberly breathes, grinning widely through her tears, and Diana lets out a cry of relief.

“Thank the gods…”

“She’ll be home waiting for you, just…focus on the fight, Diana. We want you to come home safe, too.” Trini nods against Kimberly tiredly, reaches for the phone again, and Kimberly hands it to her.

“Mom…get home safe, please.” Trini whispers, and Kimberly hears Diana let out a grunt before there’s the sound of a guy yelling in pain before she replies.

“I will, little one. Trini, I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mom.” Trini passes the phone back to Kimberly, who hangs it up before handing it back to Billy. Jason kneels down beside Trini, brushes his fingers through her hair with a smile. 

“You scared us, Trin.” He says softly.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers. She looks up at Kimberly.

“Help me up?”

“Yeah…” Kimberly loosens her hold on Trini, sits up before helping Trini up off the ground and wrapping one of Trini’s arms around her neck before wrapping her own arm around Trini’s waist.

“I’ve got you…”

Trini looks up weakly, spots Menalippe standing by the steps of the ship, and a small gasp escapes her before she smiles.

“Menalippe…what happened, how did we get here from Themyscira?” Trini asks as Kimberly walks them over to Menalippe slowly, and the Amazonian General sighs and steps forward.

“Your mother had a friend…a very, very fast friend.” She says through gritted teeth, and Trini smiles.

“The Flash.” Billy nods, claps his hands in excitement.

“He was so cool, Trini!” He says, and she chuckles.

“He is cool. But how did we get off Themyscira?”

“Your mother pushed the boat. She got us back to London in no time, and then her friend picked us up and brought us to Angel Grove.” Menalippe says with a smile.

“And Mom’s in Gotham fighting…whoever the League is supposed to be fighting now.” Trini mutters. Menalippe reaches out and grips Trini’s hands in her face.

“Are you sure you’re alright, young one?” Trini smiles and nods.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just…really tired…and sad. I never got to say goodbye.” Trini says with an exhausted sigh, and Kimberly grips her hand.

“You’ll go back one day, Trin.”

“You’ll always be welcome in Themyscira.” Menalippe says. Trini nods, smiles tiredly, and Kimberly presses a kiss to her temple.

“Take it easy for the next few days, Trini.” Zordon says softly, and they all turn back to look at him as Trini nods once.

“Yeah, I will. Thanks, Zordon.” She looks back at Kimberly with a small smile before squeezing her hand.

“Come on, let’s go home.” 

-

It seems impossible, but somehow, despite everything Trini’s gone through, she’s alive.

Less than a week ago, she was being tormented by Rita, had her infesting her mind like a plague as she took over control of her body slowly, painfully, before she was killed by her tormentor after bringing her back from space only to be brought back to life, and had now been in a semi-coma for over an hour before waking up with a migraine the size of Pluto.

She should be dead, honestly.

And she feels on the brink of it.

“I’m so tired…” Trini whispers, her eyes closing before she can stop them, and Kimberly curls up beside her on the couch, lifts her up slightly before pulling her on top of her body as she wraps an arm around her waist and holds her closer.

“Sleep, babe.” She whispers back.

“But what about Mom…” She murmurs, and Kimberly sighs.

“We’ll wake you up when she comes back, young one.” Trini hears Menalippe say.

“Mmm…I’ll go to sleep when she comes home.” Trini says, still not opening her eyes as she curls up against Kimberly.

And God, it feels good to be back in Kimberly’s arms, to feel Kimberly’s warmth beside her…

But she’s still upset that she never got to say goodbye to Hippolyta and the other Amazons in Themyscira.

“I have to go back one day.” She sighs, and Kimberly chuckles.

“Go back where?” She asks.

“To Themyscira…maybe I can bring you with me next time.” Trini yawns, and Kimberly kisses her forehead.

“You have no choice, you’re taking me with you next time. I’m not letting you out of my sight anymore, every time I do, something bad happens to you.” She grumbles, and Trini sighs.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay…”

“We need to learn our limits with this link.” Jason says, and Trini cracks open an eye to look at him, wincing as her head pounds, and she nods once.

“Mmm…”

“You okay?” Kimberly murmurs.

“Yeah…my head.”

“Power down your coin, babe.” Kimberly says, running her fingers through Trini’s hair.

“But-.”

“We’re right here, Trin. You’re not in danger and you don’t need the link. Go on.” Zack says, and Trini reaches into her pocket before pulling out her Power Coin. 

She closes her eyes once more, focuses her thoughts on being calm and collected, feels herself pulling away from her emotions, and she feels the Coin buzz in her hands before there’s a soft hum of energy that emits out of it, and Trini opens her eyes to see the Yellow color of the Coin has grown dim.

She sets it on the coffee table, curls back into Kimberly, and she feels her head grow lighter, the pain subsiding slightly as she hums in content.

“I feel better…”

“Yeah?” Kimberly begins massaging her head gently, and Trini groans before nodding.

“Much better.” She whines, and Kimberly laughs. 

Jason turns on the TV, and Trini’s eyes open at the sound of a news reporter yelling frantically. She pushes herself up, looks at the TV with a frown.

_“It appears the threat of The Joker has returned, but the Justice League were here to make sure it wasn’t for long, Kelly! He had set some kind of weapon around multiple buildings in Gotham, but ultimately, he was no match for The League! The Joker is in police custody thanks to Superman, The Flash, Batman and Wonder Woman, and another mysterious woman who appears to be in collusion with Wonder Woman-.”_

Trini lets out a gasp of shock when she sees footage of Helena fighting alongside Diana, both of them look as fierce as any warriors Trini has ever seen, and she can't help but watch them in awe before she looks at Menalippe in shock, who shrugs sheepishly.

“She refused to stay behind.” She says, and Trini chuckles despite herself.

“They’re okay.” Kimberly says, and Trini nods.

“They’re okay…”

But Trini sees the destruction of Gotham and feels a pang of anger and guilt run through her.

A loud banging sound echoes around the house, causing it to shake slightly, and Trini jumps up from the couch as the front door bursts open-

“TRINI!?”

“MOM!” Trini runs straight toward her mother, jumps into her arms as Diana holds her close, a sob of relief escaping her, and Trini tries her best to ignore the dried blood and dirt marking her mother’s body, simply buries her head in Diana’s hair and holds her close as relief floods through her.

“Are you okay?” Diana says hoarsely, and Trini nods against her.

“I’m okay. Are you?” She whispers back, and Diana nods.

“I am now. God, I was so worried…”

“I’m sorry.”

“What happened?” Diana says, and Trini can hear the others behind her as she pulls away from Diana.

“Zordon said something about using the link while being so far away must have caused it…I’m sorry you had to leave Themyscira because of me…”

“No, no, little one, don’t…I didn’t leave because of you, I left because the League needed me…” Diana says with a chuckle, and Trini lets out a sad sigh.

“You guys stopped that dumbass clown?” Diana frowns.

“Mmm…we almost lost him, but…well…”

“What?”

“His girlfriend betrayed him.” Diana says, and Trini frowns at her, about to ask how the hell the Joker could even have a girlfriend when Diana chuckles and shakes her head, tapping her nose with her finger.

“Doesn’t matter. We stopped him, we’re all okay. You’re okay…”

“But Themyscira-.”

“Shh, we’ll return one day in the near future, Trini. I promise. Right now, you need to relax and rest.” 

“I will.” Diana finally sets Trini down, and Trini turns as the other Rangers make their way to Diana, all of them hugging her tightly.

“We’re glad you’re okay.” Jason says, and Diana hums in content as she hugs them all closely.

“Mmm, thank you for saving Trini.” She whispers. Trini smiles, hears footsteps behind her as Menalippe walks up to Diana with a warm smile, and she turns to see Helena making her way into the house with a limp, wincing with each step.

“Helena!” Helena looks up at her with a small smile.

“Hello, little one. I’m glad you’re alright.” Helena says, coming to a stop beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders with a smile.

“Are you alright?” Trini asks with a frown. Helena sighs, looks down at her leg, and Trini can see the gigantic gash that’s bleeding through the rag tied around it-

“I’m fine. It will heal.” Helena says, and Trini looks at Diana, who frowns and pulls away from the other Rangers and Menalippe.

“We still need to stitch it, it will take hours to heal.”

“Diana-.”

“Don’t bother, Helena. Come.” Diana holds her hand out with a smile, and Helena takes it before looking up at the other Rangers.

“Um. Hi.”

“We know who you are.” Billy says with a grin, and Trini sighs.

“She doesn’t know who you are, Billy.” She says, and he frowns.

“Oh.”

“Jason. Nice to meet you.” Jason says, holding his hand out, and Helena shakes it, moves on top Zack and Billy before she looks at Kimberly.

“And you must be Trini’s girlfriend.” She says with a grin, and Kimberly smiles.

“I am. Kimberly.” She says proudly, and Trini beams at her.

“Helena. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“You too.”

“Your leg, Helena.” Diana says with a roll of her eyes, and Helena winces.

“Right…”

“Go to the living room, I’ll be there in a moment.” Diana says, running her fingers through Trini’s hair with a warm smile, and Trini nods once.

“Okay…” 

Diana leads Helena to the kitchen, reaches for the medical kit above the fridge as Helena sits down on one of the seats at the island, and she looks around the room in wonder, her eyes taking in the fridge and the stove and everything else with intrigue and awe.

“So strange…”

“It’s very different from Themyscira.” Diana says with a chuckle before making her way to Helena. She bends down by her leg, pulls Helena a little closer before untying the bandage around her leg.

“It’s beautiful.” Helena says with a warm smile, and Diana looks up at her fondly, smiling as Helena looks around the place with a grin of surprise.

Diana cleans the wound thoroughly with rubbing alcohol, Helena barely flinching as Diana pulls out a needle and a thread and begins sewing the skin back together.

“Does it hurt?” She murmurs. Helena shrugs.

“Yes. But you know us Amazons never show our pain.” Diana scoffs, nods once.

“I know.” 

“Is that funny to you?” Helena asks, and Diana shakes her head.

“Not funny. It’s sad.” Helena frowns.

“Why?”

“Because…emotions aren’t something to be afraid of.”

“I know. But pain-.”

“Is something that is felt regardless. It doesn’t make you weak for showing it.” Diana says softly. Helena looks at her for a long time, and Diana continues sewing her skin together, cuts the thread once she’s done before resting her hands on Helena’s knees.

“You got that protecting me.” She murmurs, and Helena sighs, hooks a finger under Diana’s chin and lifts it up gently.

“It’s not the first wound I’ve gotten protecting you. And it won’t be the last.” She says, and Diana sighs.

“Thank you. For fighting alongside me.” Helena smiles.

“You don’t need to thank me, Diana. I’ll always fight by your side. Always.”

Diana smiles, and she isn’t sure what compels her to do it, but she pushes herself up and captures Helena’s lips in her own in a soft kiss, Helena’s fingers tangling in her hair before she kisses her back just as gently. 

Diana sighs into the kiss, fatigue and exhaustion getting the better of her before she pulls away with a smile.

“Come. I think we deserve a relaxing evening, don’t you?” 

-

They spend the night talking in the living room, Trini alternating between curling up beside Diana and curling up beside Kimberly as Menalippe and Helena tell the other Rangers stories about the wars they’ve fought, by Diana’s side and by each other’s side, and all of them listen with rapt attention, not even aware that it’s almost eleven at night until Zack yelps and jumps up.

“I’ve gotta get to my mom, shit! I’m glad you’re okay, both of you!” He says, running forward and pressing a kiss to Trini’s forehead before hugging Diana, and Jason and Billy follow suite not long after, both of them hugging Diana and Trini before smiling at Menalippe and Helena.

“We hope you’ll stay.” Jason says, and Menalippe chuckles.

“I wish we could. But we should return to Themyscira to let Hippolyta know Trini and Diana are okay. It was nice meeting you, though.” 

As soon as the boys leave, Trini yawns and looks up at Kimberly and her drooping eyelids with a smile.

“Bedtime?”

“Mmm…” Kimberly mumbles sleepily, and Menalippe sighs before standing.

“We should get back to Themyscira.” She says to Helena.

Helena sighs, stands slowly, and Trini sees the look of hesitation in her eyes before she lets out a shaky breath.

“Menalippe, I…I wish to stay for a little longer.” She says firmly, and Trini feels her heart pound in her chest before Menalippe sighs.

“Helena, we must give word to Hippolyta as soon as possible.”

“But you know we won’t be returning.” Diana sighs and stands, gripping Helena’s hand in her own tightly.

“I’ll come back, Helena…”

“When? In another hundred years?” Helena says, a hint of anger in her tone, and Diana winces.

“No, I-.”

“I’m staying.” Helena says, crossing her arms over her chest, and Menalippe simply stares at her.

“Helena, I won’t be returning anymore. Diana knows how to get back home now, and it’s too risky for us to keep entering and exiting Themyscira all the time, the humans might catch on to our location. If you choose to stay…you won’t return until Diana does.” 

Helena hesitates now, and Diana catches the hesitation, smiles sadly before cradling Helena’s face in her hands.

“You can’t leave your sister behind, Helena.”

“Trigona can fend for herself-.” Helena says, but Diana chuckles and shakes her head.

“She’d be lost without you.” 

Trini watches as tears form in Helena’s eyes, and her heart breaks for the brunette as she lets out a shaky breath and nods.

“Alright…I’ll go. But Diana, please…please don’t let it be another hundred years before you return.” 

“I’ll make sure she doesn’t.” Trini says with a smile, and Helena lets her tears fall as she chuckles sadly.

Menalippe stares for a long time before she lets out a deep sigh.

“I…I’m exhausted, as I’m sure you are, too. Perhaps…perhaps we can simply stay the night, let our bodies rest. But we leave first thing in the morning.”

Helena’s eyes light up, and she nods once.

“Of course, General.” She says respectfully, and Trini sees the delight in Diana’s eyes. 

“I’ll show you to the spare room, Menalippe.” 

Trini exchanges a glance with Kimberly, grins widely before gripping Kimberly’s hand.

“We’re gonna go to bed.”

“Alright. Goodnight, little one.” Diana presses a kiss to Trini’s hair before pressing another to Kimberly’s, and Trini hugs her tightly before looking at Menalippe.

“Wake me up before you leave, please? I’d like to say goodbye this time.” She grumbles, and Menalippe chuckles and wraps an arm around her shoulders.

“Of course, young one. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Trini.” Helena says with a soft smile, and Trini smiles at them both before gripping Kimberly’s hand again and making her way up the stairs.

As soon as she enters her room, she collapses onto the bed chest first with a groan, her whole body aching, and Kimberly chuckles, leans down and presses a kiss to the back of her neck.

“You can’t sleep in jeans and a t-shirt, Trin…”

 

“I left my pajamas in Themyscira.” She whines, and Kimberly raises an eyebrow.

“You have other pajamas, Trini.”

“I’m tired.” She grumbles, and Kimberly scoffs, suddenly brushes her hand underneath Trini’s shirt before lifting it up over her back.

Trini shudders from the cold, goosebumps erupting on her skin at Kimberly’s touch before the brunette leans down and presses soft kisses down Trini’s back.

“You left your toga in Themyscira, too.” Kimberly says, and Trini glances over her shoulder to see her girlfriend pouting.

Trini rolls her eyes.

“I can make a toga here.”

“Not the same.” She sing songs, pressing another kiss to Trini’s back before she stands and maneuvers her way in between Trini’s legs. She turns Trini over onto her back gently before opening the button of her jeans and sliding them down her legs, leaning down to press kisses to her exposed thighs as she does, and Trini can feel her heart pounding as she reaches down to wrap her fingers in Kimberly’s hair.

“Kim, baby, I love you, but I’m exhausted-.”

“Who said I’m having sex with you? I’m just undressing you.” Kimberly says, pressing a kiss to the inside of her knee, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Stop kissing my skin while you do it then.”

“Why? Is it turning you on?” Kimberly teases, and Trini whines.

“Yes.” She groans, and Kimberly laughs loudly before she moves to Trini’s dresser and pulls out pajama pants and a shirt.

She slides the legs of the pants up Trini’s body before pulling the top on over her head, and Trini flops back down onto the bed as soon as she’s done with a grin.

“You’re useless.” Kimberly says with a laugh before flopping down beside her, and Trini curls up beside her.

“Leave me alone, I’ve been through a lot of shit in the last week.” She whines, and Kimberly suddenly stiffens underneath her before she sighs and runs her fingers through Trini’s hair.

“God…all this shit that’s happened…all in a week…it’s crazy.” Kimberly breathes. Trini sighs.

“I don’t know. I’m just surprised I’m still alive. Although I’m pretty sure I’m ready to sleep for the next eight days straight.” 

“Same.” Kimberly groans, and Trini runs her fingers underneath Kimberly’s shirt, nails digging into her skin gently as Kimberly sighs in content.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” She whispers.

“I’m sorry for scaring you.” Trini says, and Kimberly presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Honestly? Not the scariest thing you’ve put me through. Rita was way scarier.” Trini whines, presses a kiss to Kimberly’s throat as Kimberly chuckles and runs her fingers across Trini’s back. 

There’s a soft knock at the door, and Trini calls out before Diana opens the door.

“Are you guys okay?” She asks softly, making her way over to them, and Trini looks up at her with a small smile that turns into a smirk when Helena walks in and stands by Diana’s side.

“I’m okay.”

“Alright…get some rest, little one.”

“I will. You, too.” She says, a slight hint of teasing in her tone, and she grins when she sees Diana’s cheeks turn red before she leans down and presses a kiss to Trini’s forehead before she grips Helena’s hand with a soft smile.

“Goodnight.”

“Night.” Diana leads Helena out of the room, and Trini looks up at Kimberly with a raised eyebrow, and Kimberly grins at her wickedly.

“You think they’re gonna-.”

“I don’t wanna think about it!” Trini says loudly, and Kimberly laughs and lifts Trini’s chin up to kiss her lips gently.

Trini melts into the kiss, whines against her before pulling away.

“God, that feels so much better than doing it through the stupid link.” She whispers, and Kimberly nods.

“I know…” She breathes before kissing her once more, and this time, Trini leans up to get closer to her, deepening the kiss with a whimper as Kimberly holds her closer.

“I missed you.” She breathes against Trini’s lips, and Trini sighs against her, nods against her forehead.

“God, you have no idea how much I missed you, too…” She whispers, and before she can stop herself, she’s moving her lips down to Kimberly’s jaw, pressing open mouthed kisses to the skin on her neck before sucking it between her teeth, and Kimberly claws at her back, nails digging in as she gasps.

“I thought…you said…you were tired?” Kimberly pants out, and Trini hums in content as her fingers play with the top of Kimberly’s sweatpants. 

“I am…but I wanna show you.” She bites down on her collarbone, the fire inside her only burning brighter as Kimberly’s back arches off the bed.

“I wanna show you how much I missed you.” Trini breathes, and Kimberly whimpers as Trini leaves open mouthed kisses all over her chest, her fingers gripping Kimberly’s shirt and pulling it up and over her head with ease.

Her fingers touch the tanned skin of Kimberly’s stomach, relishes in the shudder that explodes up Kimberly’s spine at her touch, and Trini doesn’t waste time, begins tugging down Kimberly’s sweatpants as Kimberly helps her by kicking them off.

Except she kicks them toward her instead of away from her, and they fly up in the air and land on Trini’s head.

And Kimberly laughs loudly when Trini sits up straight, her face covered by her pants before she reaches up and pulls them off, blinking in surprise. 

Trini laughs as well, throws them over the side of the bed before she kisses Kimberly again, and Kimberly whines against her lips before biting down on her bottom lip gently.

“Why does it always just feel so right with you?” She whispers softly, and Trini pulls back, runs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair before staring at her with as much love and adoration as possible.

“I don’t know…but I feel the same way.”

And she does.

She’s never felt this at ease before.

It doesn’t feel foreign. 

God, it feels so fucking right. Doing this with Kimberly, being with Kimberly…

It feels right.

Trini touches the lace of her underwear next, looks up at Kimberly imploringly, and when Kimberly nods without hesitation, her back arching off the bed in anticipation, Trini moves further down and trails her lips down Kimberly’s thighs, pressing gentle kisses to her skin as she follows the procession of Kimberly’s underwear sliding down her tanned legs.

“You’re not kicking these ones off.” Trini mutters against her knee, and then she’s throwing the underwear off the bed behind her as Kimberly chuckles breathlessly. 

Trini smiles against her skin, and then she’s grabbing the blanket off her bed and pulling it out from under Kimberly’s body.

“What are you doing?” Kimberly asks, and Trini grins before she pulls the blanket up and over herself and Kimberly’s lower body.

She pokes her head out from underneath it and presses a kiss to Kimberly’s stomach.

“I’m cold.” She says simply, and Kimberly stares at her like she’s never seen anything quite so cute before in her life.

“You’re so fucking cute, fuck me…” Kimberly says, falling back against the bed whilst clapping a hand to her forehead, and Trini laughs.

But what she does next is anything but cute.

It turns out having the blanket over her body to block Trini from view is kind of amazing, because Kimberly has no idea what’s happening underneath the blanket, can only feel when Trini’s fingers touch her thighs and parts them slightly before her tongue is pressing against her.

And when she sets to work, Kimberly is a gasping mess in no time, her fingers gripping the sheets as she moans at the feeling of Trini’s tongue moving against her skillfully, pulling every single moan and gasp and shudder out of her body slowly, painfully, excruciatingly-

“Shh, we have other people in the house…” Trini says, poking her head out from underneath the blanket, and Kimberly bites down on her lip and nods, simply whines brokenly when Trini continues the task she was doing.

“Fuck, Trini…” She can’t help herself, reaches down underneath the blanket to wrap her fingers in Trini’s hair, and Trini presses a kiss to her hipbone before looking up at her underneath the blanket.

“You okay?” She asks breathlessly, and Kimberly whines, pushing her hips up.

“Don’t stop.” She manages to breathe out, and she doesn’t see Trini’s reaction to her words, her eyes closed as she tilts her head back and hears Trini whine before she’s moving back down and continuing where she left off. 

It doesn’t take much longer before Kimberly’s thighs almost lock around Trini’s head, a silent scream of ecstasy escaping her as her fingers dig into Trini’s scalp, and Trini brings her down gently, slows down before coming to a complete stop and pressing a kiss to Kimberly’s thigh before pulling the blanket off herself, and Kimberly sighs tiredly before pulling Trini up to hug her tightly.

“God, that was…” 

“Amazing?” Trini finishes with a grin, and Kimberly chuckles, closing her eyes and humming in content.

“Mmm…I hope Diana gets something equally as amazing from Helena.” 

And Trini glares at her as Kimberly grins sheepishly.

“I fucking hate you.” 

-

Trini didn’t think it would be so hard to say goodbye.

But she can’t help the tears that fall down her face as Menalippe and Helena both stand by the front door, both of them watching Diana and Trini sadly as Diana hugs Menalippe tightly.

“I hope you get home safe.” She whispers, and Menalippe sighs.

“We will. Don’t worry about us, Diana.”

“I always worry.” She murmurs, and Menalippe chuckles before she pulls back and presses a kiss to Diana’s forehead.

“Try to visit at least once a year, Diana.” She says softly, and Diana smiles.

“I’ll make it twice a year.” Menalippe smiles, and she turns to look at Trini before she sighs and opens her arms, and Trini runs into them, hugging Menalippe tightly as Menalippe presses a kiss to her hair.

“It was such a pleasure meeting you, Trini.” Menalippe says, and Trini nods against her before pulling back.

“I’ll see you again soon.” Trini says firmly, and Menalippe cradles her face.

“I hope so, young one.”

Trini steps back, and Menalippe sighs as she steps outside of the front door, and Helena looks at Trini with a warm smile before Trini hugs her tightly. 

“Thank you for training me with the daggers.” She says, and Helena chuckles before she suddenly lets go of Trini and reaches behind her back.

And Trini sees her pull out her own two daggers, unsheathing them from her armor before holding them out to Trini.

“Because you left the ones you wanted in Themyscira…” She says, and Trini looks down at the daggers in awe before she reaches out to grab them.

“I…thank you.” Trini says in disbelief, and Helena winks at her.

“Something to remember me by.”

“Those are cool!” Kimberly says, walking over to Trini and reaching out to touch the daggers, and Trini looks up just as Helena looks at Diana, a look of sadness and regret in her eyes as Diana blinks back tears and nods once.

“I’ll see you again. I promise.” Helena nods, and she steps forward, leaning up on the tips of her toes to cradle Diana’s face and press a kiss to her brow.

“Goodbye, Diana.” 

“Goodbye, Helena.” She whispers back. Helena makes her way to the door, and Trini simply stares at Diana in shock.

Diana bites her lip in hesitation, looks at Trini, who waves her hands forward.

“What kind of kiss was that?! Go!” She hisses, and Diana grins before she jumps forward, grabs Helena’s hand and pulls her back before crushing her lips against Helena’s, her hands reaching up to touch her jawline as Helena kisses her back just as passionately, her hands gripping Diana’s elbows to stabilize herself.

Trini looks at Menalippe, who rolls her eyes, but grins nonetheless, and it’s a few more seconds before Diana pulls away from Helena breathlessly, both of them simply living in the moment before Helena sighs.

“I have to go.”

“I know…tell the other Amazons I’ll be home soon. I promise.” Helena smiles, and she turns back to the door, looking a little dazed, but extremely happy as Menalippe gives Diana a final wave before gripping Helena’s hand in her own.

“Come…we have a long swim ahead of us.” She says, and Trini watches as both the Amazons begin running, their bodies forming into blurs before they disappear in the blink of an eye, and Diana sighs, watches them leave before looking at Trini with a smile.

“This week has been way too eventful.”

“I need to sleep for the next fifty years.”

“Mmm…” Trini walks toward her mother, wraps her arms around her waist as Diana sighs and holds her arm out for Kimberly to join the hug.

“We’re all okay.”

“Somehow.” Kimberly murmurs, and Diana chuckles.

“Somehow.” She agrees. 

It’s silent for a few moments before Kimberly suddenly speaks up.

“So…did you and Helena have fun last night?” She asks with a wicked grin, and Diana cheeks turn bright red before she crosses her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow at her.

“I don’t know, did you and Trini?” 

Kimberly’s mouth drops open in shock, and Trini practically shoves her head under her shirt in embarrassment as Diana smirks before nodding.

“Hmm…I rest my case.”


	14. they think I'm insane, they think my lover is strange (but I don't have to fucking tell them anything, anything)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Strange Love" by Halsey. 
> 
> i'm sorry this is late, i hope you guys aren't upset! hopefully i can start updating every three days again but work is something i have to do a lot of haha  
> anyway, i can give you guys updates on my schedule on my tumblr, which is movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com =)  
> comments are appreciated!  
> also sorry if there's any spelling errors i am literally exhausted lmao

_Nails scratch down her stomach, the sound of harsh laughter echoing in her ear as she struggles against the hand tightening around her throat, gasping for air before she hears her voice in her ear, harsh and rough-_

_“Say hello to the other Yellow Ranger for me.”_

Her eyes snap open and she gasps for air, feels it whistle down her throat as she screams, screams and screams, desperate to get away, to get free-

“TRINI!”

A loud bang. The sound of running footsteps before something grabs her-

“TRINI! IT’S ME! IT’S MOM!” 

Arms tighten around her shoulders, soft fingers brushing through her hair, and she whines, pushes against the restriction-

“Trini, it’s me! It’s Mom, it’s Mom, little one, shh!”

Her voice echoes in her ear, the memories connecting the voice to a face in her mind as she feels her body relax slowly, feels her breathing slow down and her mind begin to process what’s around her.

She’s in her room. 

It’s dark.

But she’s alone.

No, wait, she’s not alone…

“Shh, shh, little one, I’m here…” 

She’s gasping air down, feels her throat burn with pain each time the air whistles down, but she digs her nails into the arm around her chest.

“Mom-.” She chokes out.

“Shh…”

A hand cradles her head, pushes her down and Trini feels another arm wrap under her knees and pull her close.

The scent of salt water and perfume hits her, and she whines.

“Mom…”

“Shh, it’s okay…”

Diana presses kisses to her hair, rubs circles into her back as Trini tries her best to regulate her breathing.

She’s safe.

She’s home. She’s safe…

“Shh…”

Trini grips Diana’s shirt between her fingers, rests her head against her chest as Diana continues cooing softly before she sighs and rests her chin on top of Trini’s head.

“It’s been a while since you had a nightmare, little one.” She says softly. Trini simply nods against her, sighing heavily.

“I know…”

“Maybe because it’s your first night without Kimberly here?” Diana murmurs, and Trini simply nods again.

“Maybe…” She breathes out hoarsely, and Diana sighs, continues rocking her gently as Trini’s grip on her tightens.

Kimberly had slept at her own house tonight, relatives from Kentucky were visiting to check on the family after the second Encounter, and one of her cousins would be sharing her bed, which meant Kimberly couldn’t sneak out, so Trini had been left alone for the first time in what felt like forever.

She always had Diana and/or Kimberly by her side when she slept, both of their presences keeping the nightmares away from her most of the time.

But Diana had crashed out in her own room, and Trini didn’t want to disturb her.

That didn’t exactly work out…

“I-I’m sorry-.”

“Don’t.” Diana says simply, and Trini sighs as Diana brushes the hair stuck to her sweaty forehead back from her face.

Her phone starts ringing, and Trini groans, shakes her head as Diana kisses her hair and grabs her phone for her.

 

“It’s Kimberly.” She murmurs, and Trini shakes her head.

She can’t speak, the words stuck in her throat as she wills the memories of Rita touching her away-

“Kimberly? It’s Diana. I-no, she’s fine, she just had a nightmare…what? Oh, I…it’s powered down, that’s why.” Diana reaches under Trini’s pillow, pulls out her Power Coin and looks down at it with a frown as she takes in the light yellow shine of it, and Trini winces.

“The headaches are still coming. I power it down before bed so I can sleep.” Trini says hoarsely.

It’s been almost a week since her mini-coma, and Trini can feel herself getting better, can feel her mind beginning to heal, but there’s random moments where she’ll get a sharp pain in her head, the pain particularly poignant when one of the others uses the link to visit her or are feeling a particularly strong emotion. Trini finds she can handle the pain, but when it comes time for her to actually get some sleep, she’d rather not have the sharp pain waking her up.

The nightmares do it enough.

“Kimberly says she was trying to visit you to say goodnight and she couldn’t so she got worried.” Diana says, and Trini reaches a hand up to take the phone from her. Diana chuckles, kisses her hair as she hands her the phone.

“Hey…”

“Hey, are you alright? Diana told me you had a nightmare…” Kimberly’s voice is soft, and Trini finds her whole body relaxing against Diana at the sound of her voice.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” She breathes. Kimberly sighs.

“God, I wish I could come see you.”

“I can open the link-.”

“No, you told me it makes your headaches worse. Keep the coin powered down, I don’t want you using the link until you heal completely.” 

“Okay…”

Kimberly sighs, and Trini looks up at Diana with a smile.

“I’m okay, Kim. My mom’s here to look after me when you’re not.” She teases, and Kimberly chuckles.

“I know…I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.”

“Call me if you have another nightmare, okay?”

“I will.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Trini hangs up, throws her phone onto the bed before groaning as she rubs her eyes tiredly.

“Come on, little one. Back to bed…”

“I don’t know if I can.” She grumbles, and Diana pulls her down to her chest, wrapping her arms around her before running her fingers through her hair.

She starts singing a lullaby in Spanish, one of Trini’s favorites, and it isn’t long before Trini’s eyes begin to droop, her mind slowly entering a state of unconsciousness once more.

-

Returning to Angel Grove High is torture.

Trini’s entire body is still aching from the events of the last two weeks, and having to wake up at seven in the morning to get ready after a night of continuously waking up from nightmares doesn’t help her mood one bit.

But she slugs through the day as best she can, walks through the hallways with Kimberly, Jason, Zack and Billy by her side as everyone rushes up to each other, all of them talking about one topic and one topic only.

The second Encounter.

“Dude, I got totally mauled by this rock thing, check out my scar-.”

“My car was fucking destroyed! Like, who’s gonna pay for that-?”

“Seriously, where are those things even coming from-?”

“At least we got the Power Rangers-.”

Trini ignores them all, tries her best to ignore the people showing each other their cool scars they got from cuts and scrapes caused by the attack, and Kimberly grips her hand and squeezes it gently.

“You okay?” Trini simply nods, winces as she feels the scars on her back and stomach throb.

If only her injuries could be shown off with pride and gratitude over being alive…

Not that she’s not thankful that she survived. But waking up every night in a gasping panic with the memory of Rita Repulsa’s nails dragging down her skin doesn’t exactly feel like living…

She tries her best to get through the day normally, but it’s during second period English, when she feels a tug at her heart of anxiety and grief, that Trini suddenly finds herself unable to ignore it anymore.

She knows the emotions are coming from Kimberly, and she bolts upright, closes her eyes and focuses her mind on Kimberly’s energy.

Her head only throbs lightly when she finds herself connected to Kimberly through the link, further signs that she’s improving, and she smiles for a brief moment before the sight before her wipes the smile of her face completely within seconds. 

Kimberly is sitting in the girls’ bathroom with her arm around Amanda, who is crying loudly, her head resting against Kimberly’s shoulder as tears fall down her face.

Trini looks on in shock, and Kimberly looks up at her with wide eyes before she sighs.

“I’m so sorry, Amanda…” She whispers. Amanda shakes her head, looks up at Kimberly with bloodshot eyes.

“They don’t know if he’s gonna make it…” She whispers, and Trini feels her heart drop.

Kimberly looks up at her with tears in her eyes, mouths the word ‘Dad’, and Trini shakes her head.

“Fuck…”

“Is there anything they can do?” Kimberly whispers, and Amanda shakes her head again.

“N-No…he’s been in a coma since the attack…I just…I don’t know what to do, Kim…” 

“I know, I’m so sorry, Amanda…I’m so sorry.” Kimberly simply holds her ex-best friend, tears falling down her face as Amanda curls into her, sobs escaping her uncontrollably, and Trini sighs, bends down beside Kimberly and touches her shoulder.

“Do you want me to grab someone?” Kimberly shakes her head infinitesimally, and Trini leans in and presses a kiss to her hair.

“Do you want me to leave?”

Kimberly hesitates.

Shakes her head again, and Trini nods once with a soft smile.

“Okay, babe…”

“That’s not all…fuck, everything is so fucked up.” Amanda cries out, and Kimberly looks down at her with a frown.

“What? What happened?” Amanda sniffs, looks up at her guiltily before she lets out a shaky breath.

“I know Ty’s the one who spread those photos of me. I found out just before the attack and broke up with him. I can’t believe…I can’t believe I believed him. I’m such an idiot!” She cries, wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her shirt, and Kimberly sighs.

“Doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, I sent him that photo.”

“You only sent him one. He shared all the other ones I sent him, the fucking prick!” Amanda growls, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“Doesn’t matter. I still fucked up, and you had every right to be mad at me. I’m so sorry, Amanda-.”

“Don’t, Kimmy. You fucked up, but at least you’re apologizing for it. You wanna know what he told me when I confronted him about it? ‘Relax babe, now everyone knows how hot you are and it’ll make them jealous of us because I have you all to myself. We’ll be Angel Grove’s hottest couple’. Like, how fucked up can you get?!”

Kimberly grits her teeth, and Trini feels a burst of anger through the link.

“Kim…” She says softly, and Kimberly looks at her angrily.

“He’s a fucking asshole.” She says simply.

“I know!” Amanda yells, crying once more, and Trini sighs.

“Her dad…” Kimberly nods once, squeezes Amanda’s shoulders.

“Your dad…how’d he get hurt?” She asks softly, and Amanda’s face crumbles into despair once more.

“W-We were running away from those weird rock creatures and one of them almost attacked me, and h-he pushed me away, but the rock creature just turned on h-him instead…sent him flying over twenty feet. I watched it happen and I c-couldn’t move, couldn’t t-think...”

“Shh, Amanda…it’s okay…”

“What if he dies, Kim? What do I do if he dies?” She whispers. 

“She can’t think like that…” Trini whispers, and Kimberly nods.

“You can’t think like that, Amanda…you can’t give up. He needs you, alright?” Amanda swallows down the lump in her throat, nods once and looks up at Kimberly sadly.

“I didn’t even want to come to school today, I wanted to s-stay with him, but mom told me he’d be mad if I skipped school.” 

“He would be.” Kimberly says with a chuckle, and Amanda lets out a halfhearted laugh, looks up at Kimberly with a trembling bottom lip before she curls in closer to her.

“I miss you, Kimmy. I hate how our friendship ended, but I was just so mad-.”

Trini feels Kimberly’s surprise, followed by her elation as she bites down on her bottom lip.

“No, you had every right to be. I can understand if you can’t ever forgive me for it, Amanda. What I did was fucked up. Really fucked up. But I want you to know that ever since that day, I’ve been trying to change. I don’t want to be how I used to be anymore.” Kimberly says in a desperate rush, as if she’s been wanting to say these words to Amanda for a long time, and Trini realizes that she has. 

“Yeah, I can see…you’re hanging out with Billy Cranston now.” Amanda says with a chuckle, and Kimberly smiles fondly.

“Yeah…he’s a great kid.”

“You’re hanging out with a lot of weird people now.”

“They’re not weird…just different.”

“I beg to differ…Trini almost took my head off a few weeks ago.”

“What?” Trini’s heart drops as Kimberly looks at Amanda in disbelief, and she looks up at Kimberly with wide eyes.

“She…she didn’t tell you?” 

Kimberly looks at Trini, who grins sheepishly.

“No, she didn’t.” She says, keeping eye contact with Trini in a glare before she looks down at Amanda imploringly. Amanda sighs.

“I don’t blame her. Harper and I were being…us. Bitchy. I…I called her a ‘lesbian freak’, and I said if she was going to defend you that she could go down with you…I don’t even know what I was saying, I just wanted to get under her skin, and I did. She shoved me against the locker by my throat, and I couldn’t breathe…”

Kimberly looks at Trini with wide eyes, and Trini looks down at the ground, closes her eyes in shame…

“Rita was starting to get into my mind at that point. I don’t know if it was her influence, but even if it was, I shouldn’t have done that.” Trini says softly, regret and guilt making tears form in her eyes, and Kimberly grips her hand, squeezes it as Trini looks up at her.

Understanding shines in her eyes as she smiles sadly, and she looks down at Amanda.

“Trini…has a lot going on. Like…a lot.” Kimberly says lamely, and Amanda frowns and looks up at her.

“What do you mean?” She asks, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“It’s not my place to say, I just…you know how we used to be so self-absorbed, never cared about anyone else or what they were going through, only cared about ourselves?” Amanda nods, and Kimberly sighs.

“It’s kind of a fucked up way to live, and all it does is hurt people. Trini’s an amazing person…one of the best people I know. And so is Billy, and Jason Scott, and Zack Taylor…but everyone’s got shit that keeps them down, that keeps haunting them…it kinda makes you realize that every little thing you say can affect someone in a way you never anticipated.” 

Amanda is silent, and Kimberly looks at Trini as she speaks her next words.

“And I’m sure…that if Trini was here, she’d be apologizing over and over again for what she did. Trust me, Trini isn’t a violent person at all. She just…she cares a lot about the people in her life. And I’m one of them now, I guess.” Trini raises an eyebrow, and Kimberly smiles softly at her.

“Are…are you two like…a thing?” Amanda asks slowly, and Kimberly looks up at Trini, who hesitates before shaking her head.

“Maybe wait until you guys are actually friends again.” Trini says, distrust still flooding her as Amanda looks at Kimberly with a frown, and Kimberly purses her lips.

“I…no. No, we’re not a thing.” She murmurs, and Trini feels a pang of sadness hit her even though she knows the words aren’t true, even if Kimberly squeezes her hand as if reassuring her that they’re not.

“I should probably stop torturing Jason Scott to do my homework now.” Amanda says with a sigh.

“Huh?” Kimberly looks at her in confusion, and Amanda bites her lip before rolling her eyes.

“He told me and Harper he’d do our homework for the rest of the year so we wouldn’t tell Principal Feige about what Trini did to us. It’s not like we were gonna be stupid enough not to accept.” She mumbles, and Trini rolls her eyes as Kimberly looks at her with a frown.

“Billy’s been doing it. He enjoys it.” She says with a shrug, and Kimberly sighs.

“Is Harper gonna be okay with that?”

“Harper doesn’t really care about anything anymore. She…her house got destroyed in the second Encounter.” Amanda says with a sigh, and Kimberly closes her eyes and lets out a shaky breath.

“Shit…”

“Yeah. They lost everything. I just…I don’t get it, you know? It’s like nothing matters anymore, not when fucking aliens are coming out of the sky, and people like Superman and Wonder Woman exist, it’s just like…who the fuck cares about grades, and school, and all that other bullshit? God, everything just seems so petty and stupid now…we could lose everything in the blink of an eye…our entire lives can be turned upside down…fuck, all I care about right now is my d-dad…I just want him to be okay…” Amanda chokes out, tears falling down her face again, and Kimberly brushes her hair back from her face.

“He’s gonna be okay, Amanda…” She nods once, wipes away her tears before staring at Kimberly for a few moments. 

“You’ve changed, Kimmy. For the better.” She says with a smile, and Kimberly nods, her smile widening.

“Thanks.”

“Do you think…do you think we can be friends again?” Amanda whispers, and Kimberly sighs.

“I think it’ll take time. But I also think that right now, all I want is to support you through all this. If you need me at any point, Amanda, I’m a phone call away. Okay?” Amanda nods once, and Kimberly presses a kiss to her hair before she stands.

“Come on. Up you get.” She says, holding a hand out, and Amanda sniffs and wipes her tears away before taking Kimberly’s extended hand.

“I think…I think I’m gonna go to the Hospital. I’m not gonna be able to get any school work done with Dad there, I just…it’s impossible.” Amanda says with a sigh, and Kimberly smiles.

“You should. I’ll take notes for you.” She says, and Amanda smiles.

“Thanks, Kimmy.”

“You’re welcome.” Amanda picks up her bag, wipes her tears away again before smiling at Kimberly once more and leaving the bathroom.

Kimberly closes her eyes, takes a deep breath in as Trini wraps her arms around her waist from behind.

“That was big of you.” She says softly, resting her chin on Kimberly’s shoulder, and Kimberly grips her hands around her waist.

“No it wasn’t. She needed me. Regardless of what’s happened between us…I’ll always be there for her.”

Trini smiles, presses a kiss to the back of her head.

“You’re a good person, Kimberly Hart.”

“Mmm, and you’re in big trouble, Trini Prince. How could you not tell me about what happened between you two?!” 

-

“So how old are you exactly, Diana?”

Trini looks up from her plate of food at Zack with wide eyes, watches as he grins up at Diana as she raises an eyebrow at him.

“Why?” She asks suspiciously, and Zack shrugs as he takes a bite of his food.

“Just wondering. I mean you’re immortal, right?”

Trini sighs, and Kimberly chuckles and massages the back of her neck gently.

They’ve just finished training for the day, all of them heading to Trini’s house for dinner, and Trini is still sore from the whiplash from a particular move Jason had used on her, her neck aching as Kimberly continues to massage it whenever Trini so much as winces slightly.

Diana sighs and takes a bite of her food before shrugging.

“Nine hundred and something. I’ve lost count.”

Jason coughs loudly, choking on his food as Billy stares at Diana with wide eyes and Zack lets out a whistle.

“Holy shit…”

“It’s not a big deal.” She says, and Zack scoffs in disbelief.

“Yeah, no big deal, I’m just gonna go ahead and celebrate my nonexistent nine hundred and eighth birthday, don’t mind me.” He says sarcastically, and Diana chuckles.

“Have fun with it.”

“Seriously, have you ever even celebrated your birthday, Diana?” Jason asks, and Diana sighs.

“I don’t have a birthday. When you’ve lived for as long as I have…it doesn’t seem necessary.”

Trini frowns, thinks about all her birthday celebrations over the years…

They’ve never done one for Diana.

“Mom, we’ve never even celebrated your birthday before.”

“I don’t have one, Trini.” Diana says again with a laugh, and Trini shrugs.

“We’ll make one. What’s your favorite date?” 

“June twenty-ninth.” Diana says with a grin, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“That’s my birthday.”

“It’s the day my life began again.” Diana says softly, and Trini smiles softly as she reaches out and grips Diana’s hand tightly.

“Mom…”

“It’s fine, Trini. The only birthday worth celebrating is yours.” She says, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Trini’s temple.

“Hey!” Zack says in surprise, and Diana rolls her eyes.

“And all of yours.” She says with a grin, and Zack grins and makes finger guns at her.

“October twenty-fifth, mark it on your calendar.” 

“September ninth. Mark that, too.” Jason says with a mouthful of food.

“Oh, November sixteenth! Kim?” Billy says, turning to Kimberly excitedly.

“July twenty fourth.” Trini and Kimberly say at the same time. Jason rolls his eyes, and Zack claps his hands excitedly.

“Two Ranger birthdays during the summer holidays, party time!” He cheers, and Kimberly laughs.

“We’re in the middle of March, Zack, we’re pretty far away from any birthday celebrations.” 

“Cool, we’ll have one now for Diana then.” Zack says with a grin, and Diana rolls her eyes.

“You are not using me as an excuse to party, Zack Taylor.” She says, waving her finger at him. 

“Don’t be such a party pooper, Diana! Parties are great!”

“Yeah, because the last party we went to was so fun.” Jason says with a roll of his eyes.

“It was the best party I’ve ever been to for sure.” Kimberly says with a grin at Trini, and Trini laughs loudly. 

“Alright, no more party talk. I’m gonna go to the store and get some ice-cream. Requests?” Diana asks.

“Cookies and cream.” Trini says automatically.

“Mint chocolate chip!” Billy says with a grin, and Jason smiles at him.

“Same.” He says simply.

“Y’all are boring! Rocky Road!” Zack hollers as he jumps up and makes his way to the backyard to tend to his roses, and Kimberly moves her chair closer to Trini, pressing a kiss to her hair.

“Same as Trini.” Diana nods once, and Trini smiles.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“No, you stay here, little one.” Diana touches her cheek with a smile before she grabs her bag and makes her way to the entrance, turning back to look at Kimberly pressing kisses to Trini’s face as Trini tries to squirm away from her, breathless giggles escaping her as she does.

Diana looks at Jason as he watches Trini and Kimberly fondly before jumping up and putting Billy into a light chokehold.

“Come on, buddy. Let’s go annoy Zack.” 

“I HEARD THAT, SCOTT!” Zack yells from the backyard.

Diana can’t help the little chuckle that escapes her, can’t help the feeling of love that floods her at the sight of the Rangers being so free and open around each other.

They are like a little family…

Diana makes her way to her car, drives to the local Wal-Mart, the only store not to be damaged by the second Encounter, and enters the store, mentally counting off the different ice creams she needs to get as she makes her way to the isle with frozen foods.

It isn’t long before voices reach her, and she thinks nothing of it until she hears a familiar name.

“Jason said he was having dinner at that girl Trini’s house again tonight.” She hears a female voice say, and then there’s a loud sigh.

“Again? We still haven’t met this girl, are we sure she isn’t his girlfriend?” 

Diana freezes with her hand on the handle of one of the freezer doors, and she looks to the left of her to see a middle aged man and woman looking in the door of frozen vegetables, both of them with frowns on their faces as the woman shakes her head.

“I don’t think so…he’s been hanging around Kimberly Hart a lot as well, I think something might be happening between them.” 

“Do we really want him to date a girl like Kimberly Hart?” The man says with a deeper frown, and Diana raises an eyebrow. 

“Oh, she made a mistake, Sam, that doesn’t make her a horrible person-oh god, I forgot the cake batter for Pearl’s book fair tomorrow!” The woman says, clapping a hand to her forehead, and Sam sighs.

“Go, Beverly, I’ll grab the frozen vegetables.” He grumbles, and Beverly taps his slightly large stomach lightly.

“You heard what the doctor said, vegetables are gonna help lower that cholesterol of yours.”

“Jason behaving and not screwing up his life will help lower my cholesterol more.” Sam mutters, and Beverly simply frowns, goes to say something before sighing and walking away. 

Diana opens the fridge, grabs a tub of cookies and cream before reaching for the mint chocolate chip ice cream, and she pauses for a moment, part of wondering if she should talk to Jason’s father.

She decides against it, simply grabs the Rocky Road and vanilla ice cream tubs before closing the fridge behind her.

“Mint chocolate chip. That’s my son’s favorite.” Diana freezes, turns to see Sam smiling at her as he carries two bags of frozen vegetables in his hands, and Diana smiles back at him.

“I know. This is for him, actually.” She says. Sam’s smile fades and his eyes widen, and Diana chuckles, moves the four tubs into the cradle of her arm before extending her hand.

“Diana Prince. I’m Trini Prince’s mother.”

Sam’s mouth drops open, and Diana fights the urge to roll her eyes when he looks her up and down before he seems to realize what he’s doing, and he clears his throat and averts his eyes, his cheeks turning red as he grips her extended hand.

“Uh, Sam. Sam Scott, I’m Jason’s father.” 

“I figured.”

“So I’m guessing you heard us talking about Jason…” Sam mutters, and Diana bites her lip in hesitation.

“I did…” She says, nodding once. 

“Seems like you see more of my son than I do these days.” He says with a chuckle, and Diana sighs.

“I guess he took my invitation of always being welcome a little too literally.” She attempts to joke, and Sam smiles, but sighs as he runs his hand through his hair.

“Well, at least he’s happier with your daughter than he is with us…” He says, and Diana frowns.

“I think just being around his friends helps him relax…teenagers, you know, they always prefer being around their friends than their family.” Diana says, and Sam nods once before he stares at Diana sadly for a few moments.

“Is…is he happy, at least? When he’s with your daughter and his friends?” Diana smiles softly.

“Very happy.” She says, and Sam smiles, nods as he plays with the vegetable bags in his hands. 

“Good. I’m glad.” 

They’re silent for a few seconds before Diana clears her throat.

“I should go…the kids really wanted ice-cream.” She says, and Sam chuckles.

“Yeah, mint chocolate chip has always been Jason’s favorite.” Diana smiles, nods once, and Sam shakes her hand once more.

“Nice meeting you, Diana.”

“You too, Sam.”

“Tell Jason to be home by ten.” Sam says sternly, and Diana chuckles.

“I will.” 

She turns to walk away, stops in her tracks as she hesitates before she turns back to look at Sam with a smile.

“He’s a good person, Sam. If you saw how he acts around Zack and Kimberly and Billy and Trini…he cares for them so much. And a person only learns how to care for others through their parents caring for them. You haven’t failed him…and he’s not a failure. He’s just struggling to figure life out. But I can assure you…he’s one of the best people I know, and not a day goes by that I’m not thankful that he’s a part of Trini’s life. You should be proud of him.” 

Diana watches as the tears form in Sam’s eyes, and she reaches out and touches his shoulder with a smile before she begins making her way out of the store.

As soon as she gets back home, she finds Jason sitting on the couch with both Kimberly and Trini’s heads resting on his lap on either side of him, his fingers running through both their hairs as Billy and Zack sit at the bottom of the couch, all of them watching a movie that they immediately look up from when they hear Diana enter.

“Yes! Ice-cream!” Zack yells, and Diana chuckles, passes by the kitchen to grab spoons before she passes him the Rocky Road ice-cream. He immediately rips the lid off and digs in, and Diana throws the mint chocolate chip at Billy, who catches it with a grin before he huddles up on the second couch with Jason sitting down beside him. 

Diana huddles up in the middle of Kimberly and Trini, effectively taking Jason’s spot as she hands Trini the cookies and cream tub before opening the vanilla for herself.

“Hey, you okay?” Trini asks Diana with a frown, and Diana looks up at Jason, watches as he fights Billy’s spoon with his own before yanking the tub off him and laughing as Billy tries to get it back off him.

She smiles and nods once, looking down at Trini with a warm smile.

“Of course, little one. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”

-

“Move back! Stop his attack!”

Trini steps back, grips Zack’s wrist and twists it behind his back as Billy cheers.

“Good job, Trini!” He howls, his voice echoing around the Pit, and she grins as she shoves Zack lightly, laughing as he grumbles and rubs his wrist.

“Lucky shot, crazy girl.” He says, and Trini cocks an eyebrow at him.

“If you think so.” He grins, steps forward with a swing that Trini easily dodges before she spins into a kick that Zack ducks down to avoid, and he charges at her, tackles into her as Trini feels the breath get knocked right out of her, and she digs her heels into the ground, stops Zack’s charge short and knees him in the gut.

Zack grunts and pushes up before shoving her back, and Trini stumbles before Zack propels himself up onto the rock beside them with one foot before using the momentum from it to throw a punch at her face.

It connects, and Trini feels stars flash before her eyes as the force knocks her back, her left eyebrow throbbing with pain as Zack suddenly stops.

“Shit, Trin, you okay-?”

“I’m good.” She says, giving him a thumbs up but wincing all the same, and Zack hesitates.

“Okay, maybe we should stop.” 

“No, I’m good-.”

“No, I mean, I’m exhausted.” Zack says breathlessly, and Trini laughs, rubs her aching eyebrow as Jason and Kimberly jog over to them. 

“You guys okay?”

“Yeah.” Trini says with a sigh, and Jason nods once.

“Alright. Let’s call it quits for today. But you should bring your daggers tomorrow, Trini. It’ll be good to get you training with them.” Trini simply nods, and Kimberly grips her hand as Alpha 5 makes his way toward them.

“How’d training go?”

“Yeah, good. Missed you, though.” Zack says, stretching his body with a wince, and Alpha 5 chuckles.

“Sorry, I know I usually oversee your training sessions, but Zordon and I had something to take care of.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“Nothing.” Alpha 5 says all too quickly, and Trini raises an eyebrow.

“I didn’t even know robots could suck at lying.” She says, and Alpha 5 sighs.

“It’s nothing to be worried about.”

“If you feel the need to say that, that usually means it is something to be worried about.” Kimberly says anxiously, and Alpha 5 shakes his head furiously. 

“No, no, really, it’s all okay!” 

“Alpha, don’t you think you and Zordon have kept enough secrets from us?” Zack says, and Alpha 5 hesitates.

“I…”

“You and Zordon need to seriously stop keeping stuff from us. We’re the Power Rangers, I think we deserve to know whatever’s going on.” Jason says, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Alpha 5 hesitates once more before he sighs and nods.

“Alright, alright. But Zordon will want to be the one to tell you guys.” Trini’s heart drops, and she exchanges a glance with Kimberly, who squeezes her hand as she frowns before they make their way toward the morphing grid. 

“Zordon? What’s going on?” Jason asks immediately, and Zordon looks down at the Rangers with a frown.

“Alpha? You told them?”

“Not exactly. They kind of figured something was going on.” He grumbles, and Zordon sighs.

“What is it?” Billy asks, and Zordon shakes his head.

“It’s nothing to startle yourselves with. It’s something that I expected would happen now that Rita is gone for good.”

Trini’s heart pounds against her chest at the sound of her name, and Kimberly squeezes her hand in comfort as her breath hitches.

“Rita?” Jason says, and Zordon nods.

“Now that Rita is gone, the Green Power Coin is seeking a new host.” 

“Host?” Zack pipes up. 

“Not host, but…you know. A Ranger. It’s looking for a new Ranger.” Alpha 5 says, and Jason looks at the others in hesitation.

“I…why weren’t we told this might be a possibility?” Jason says in disbelief, and Zordon sighs.

“I believed it would be better to wait and see if something happened first.”

“So what does this mean? We might have a Green Ranger join us?” Billy asks with excitement, and Zordon chuckles.

“Yes, Billy. It means that someone in Angel Grove has gotten the Green Coin’s attention. After we performed Rita’s funeral, we left the Power Coin in the teleportation room. Alpha 5 has been keeping an eye on it, and last night…”

“Last night the Green began to shine in it once more!” Alpha 5 says excitedly.

“Awesome! A new member of the team!” Billy says with an excited clap of his hands.

Kimberly smiles, Zack laughs, and Jason looks up at Zordon with anticipation, but Trini only feels dread.

Another member of the team?

And not only that, but someone who will take on the Green Ranger…

Rita was the Green Ranger in Zordon’s team and she betrayed them all.

Who’s to say their Green Ranger won’t do the same? They’ve already been through so much, the possibility of having a Green Ranger betray them-

“Trin?”

Kimberly touches her shoulder, and Trini shakes away her thoughts, gives her a faltering smile before she nods.

“I’m good.” Kimberly frowns, but doesn’t say anything more as Zordon dismisses them for the day and promises to let them know if anything else happens with the Coin.

Trini bursts through the water and reaches the top of the Cliff with ease, pulls out her phone (which is now waterproof thanks to Billy and that genius mind of his), and is about to call Diana when Kimberly lands beside her, shaking the water out of her hair as she walks up to Trini hesitantly.

“Hey, so…you know how I told you that you don’t have to come over today if you don’t want to?” She murmurs, and Trini’s heart stops.

Trini had been taken by surprise this morning when had arrived at school to find Kimberly staring at her anxiously before telling her that her mother wanted Trini to come over for dinner tonight.

Kimberly’s been adamant the whole day on making sure that Trini understood it was her choice, but Trini honestly feels like she doesn’t have one no matter how many times Kimberly tells her she does.

“The Kentucky relatives are gone, right?”

“Yeah, they are, I told you that already, babe…” Kimberly says softly, brushing Trini’s damp hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear with a smile, and Trini sighs before nodding.

“Then I’m coming over for dinner.” She says simply, and Kimberly smiles, her eyes lighting up with excitement before she leans in and presses a kiss to Trini’s lips.

“They’re gonna love you, I know they are.” She whispers. Trini smiles against her lips, kisses her again gently as Kimberly hums softly.

“Let me go home and get dry, Diana can drop me off, okay?”

“Okay…don’t be nervous, alright?” Kimberly says, and Trini only nods before she makes her way to Kimberly’s car with the others trailing behind her.

Trini can feel the nerves only building as Kimberly drops off Zack at the trailer, Zack waggling his eyebrows at Trini and poking her in the shoulder. 

“Knock ‘em dead, crazy girl.” She simply nods, not trusting herself to speak in case she ends up vomiting, and Jason and Billy each get dropped off him before she finds herself in front of her own home, her mind racing as Kimberly grips her hand before leaning across the car and kissing her softly.

“Trin…”

“I’ll see you in an hour, okay?” She whispers, and Kimberly sighs and nods once.

“Okay…Trini, don’t be nervous.” 

“I won’t, I…I’ll try.” She says, and Kimberly chuckles, kisses her again a little more deeply, and Trini whines against her lips before pulling away and opening the door to leave.

As soon as she walks through the front door of her home, she runs straight into the kitchen to find Diana waiting for her, drinking a glass of wine as she raises an eyebrow at her daughter.

“I got your text. You’re having dinner at Kimberly’s house?”

“I’m freaking out.” Trini says breathlessly, and Diana chuckles.

“I can see.”

“Mom, what…fuck, what if they don’t like me?” 

“And why wouldn’t they like you?” Diana asks, and Trini walks over to her, sits down on the seat beside her as Diana wraps an arm around her shoulders.

“Oh, I don’t know, they might blame me for turning their daughter gay because they don’t know any better.” Trini says sarcastically, and Diana rolls her eyes.

“You should expect questions from them about your relationship, but just be you, Trini. Answer them truthfully, and just…be yourself. Be the girl Kimberly fell in love with.” Diana says simply, and Trini sighs.

“I know that, but I just…what if they don’t like the girl I am?” Trini says, her heart pounding against her chest at the thought, and Diana bites her lip with hesitation before she answers.

“Then…I’m not sure, to be honest.” She says, and Trini chuckles.

“I keep forgetting you’re not an expert on relationships. Love, sure, but relationships…”

“Can you blame me? I’ve only ever had two in my life…” Diana says with a chuckle, and Trini laughs.

“Nine hundred years old-.”

“Shh, my point is, little one…is that you don’t have anything to worry about. Because no matter what happens, you and Kimberly have a home here.” Trini smiles softly, grips Diana’s hand and interlaces their fingers before resting her head against her mother’s shoulder.

“I know…thank you.”

“Of course. Now come on, let’s go find something nice for you to wear.” 

They spend at least the next half an hour in Trini’s room, Diana picking out dress after dress and Trini shutting down each and every single one.

“I don’t wanna look like I’m trying too hard!”

“How is a nice summer dress ‘trying too hard’?”

Trini eventually settles on skinny jeans and a white button up blouse as Diana braids the side of her hair before handing her leather lace up boots, and Trini can feel her heart pounding faster with each minute that passes.

“Trini, it’s going to be alright.” Diana says softly, tucking her hair behind her ears gently, and Trini nods.

“I know. I just don’t wanna let Kim down…”

“You won’t. You know Kimberly loves you no matter what.”

“I know. But it’s so important to her that I impress her parents…”

“It’s not about impressing her parents and you know that. She just wants them to like you.” 

“I never stressed about you not liking her.” Trini grumbles, and Diana raises an eyebrow.

“No, you just kept other relationships in your past from me.” She says bluntly, and Trini winces.

“I-.”

“I’m not upset, I’m just trying to get you to understand.”

“No, I do, I get it. But I can’t stop myself from being nervous.” 

“Of course you can’t.” Diana says with a chuckle, and she presses a kiss to Trini’s hair before squeezing her shoulder.

“Come on. Time to go.” 

The drive there is silent, Trini trying her best to keep herself calm as she turns her Power Coin in her hands over and over again.

Zack sends her a quick text asking her if she’s okay and if she wants him to visit, and Trini sends him a quick reply telling him she’s fine and not to bother. Something that all the Rangers had agreed on doing was sending each other a text message before visiting each other through the link now, something Trini was forever thankful for, especially considering a few days ago, Trini and Kimberly had forgotten to power down their coins and had been in the middle of an intense make out session when Billy had visited them accidentally. Trini smiles at the memory of Billy yelling out and covering his eyes in shock as Kimberly and Trini yelped in surprise.

“BILLY!”

“I’M SORRY, I DIDN’T KNOW!” 

It’s fair to say that the decision to text each other before mental link visits was a smart one. Trini’s pretty sure she doesn’t want the boys to witness what’s about to happen. 

“I’m a phone call away.”

“I know.” Diana pulls up to Kimberly’s house, and Trini looks up at the small two story home with a lump forming in her throat and sweat beginning to form on her forehead.

“Good luck, little one.”

“Thank you.” Diana squeezes her hand, and Trini gives her a soft smile before she exits the car and makes her way down the drive way.

She hears Diana’s car leave the sidewalk, and she takes a deep breath in as she reaches the front door before exhaling and extending a hand to knock on the wooden door. 

She hears the sound of footsteps pounding down some stairs before the door opens, and Kimberly stares at her for a few moments, looks her up and down in shock before Trini clears her throat to get her attention.

“What? Not good?”

Kimberly blinks.

“You look…” She shakes her head with a chuckle, and Trini feels a sudden rush of desire and lust through the bond.

She sees Kimberly’s cheeks turn bright red as she averts her gaze.

“Oh. Good, then.” She says with a grin. Kimberly whines and nods furiously.

“Very good. Very, very, very good.” Trini laughs, presses a soft kiss to Kimberly’s cheek.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” She whispers, taking in Kimberly’s black knee length flowy skirt and her denim button up blouse with a smile. 

“Come on.” Kimberly takes her hand, interlacing their fingers as she leads them up the stairs, Trini still feeling the effects of Kimberly’s desire as her eyes scan the length of her tan legs with a shudder.

But all thoughts of lust and desire are erased as soon as she sees what’s waiting for her at the top of the stairs.

There’s a living room to the left of the stairs, and as soon as Trini reaches the top, two people stand from the couch opposite the TV. Trini’s eyes fall on Kimberly’s father, and she can’t help but notice some similarities in their appearances. Kimberly has his slender nose and the shape of his eyes, as well as the color of his hair. But Andrew’s hair is thinning out, his hairline receding as his green eyes fill with excitement at the sight of Trini. 

“Mom, Dad…this is Trini. My girlfriend.” Kimberly says with an exhale of breath, her fingers practically gripping Trini like a lifeline, and Trini smiles and steps forward, extending her hand as Kimberly’s father takes it in his own with a smile.

“Trini! Nice to finally meet you, we’ve heard so much about you.” 

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Hart.” Trini says, and he scoffs.

“Mr. Hart is my father, call me Andrew.”

“Dad…no dad jokes, please.” Kimberly whines, and he chuckles under his breath as he lets go of Trini, who turns to Kimberly’s mother.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hart.” She says softly, and Kimberly’s mother smiles tightly, grips Trini’s hand for about three seconds before letting it go, her brown eyes narrowed as she looks Trini up and down.

“Nice to meet you, too.” She says, a little too stiffly, and Trini feels Kimberly tense up beside her.

She goes to reach for her hand, wanting to comfort her, but decides against it at the last minute and shoves her hand into her jeans pocket instead.

“Thank you for inviting me over for dinner. I’m sorry I didn’t meet you sooner, I was injured during the second Encounter.” Trini says hastily, and Andrew winces.

“Yes, we heard about that. How are you feeling?” He asks, genuine concern in his voice, and Trini smiles as best she can.

“I’m feeling a lot better, thank you.” 

“What were your injuries?” Kimberly’s mother asks, and Trini hesitates before Kimberly speaks up.

“What, do you want to see the scars for proof?” She says through gritted teeth, and Trini shakes her head.

“Kim, it’s fine, I-.”

“No, she’s right, I’m sorry, dear.” Kimberly’s mother says, and Trini watches as Andrew sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

“Regardless…we’re all very glad you’re doing better now, Trini.”

“Thank you.” She says with an awkward smile. 

“Come on, we’ve got pot roast waiting for you.” Andrew says with a wink, touching Trini’s shoulder and leading her toward the kitchen.

Trini can hear Kimberly and her mother arguing in Guajarati behind her, and she sighs as Andrew squeezes her shoulder.

“Don’t worry sweetheart, Maddy will come around.” He murmurs. Trini smiles at him as he pulls out her seat for her, and it isn’t long before Kimberly comes into the dining room to sit beside Trini, her expression fuming as Trini grips her hand under the table and squeezes it as Maddy makes her way into the kitchen, Andrew following behind her not long after. 

“Kim, relax…” She whispers.

“She’s being so unnecessarily rude.” Kimberly hisses. 

“It’s alright.” Trini says with a shake of her head.

“No, it’s not. She can’t just invite you for dinner and then be rude to you.” Kimberly growls, and Trini sighs.

“Shh…” 

Maddy and Andrew enter the dining room, Andrew looking exasperated as Maddy sets the pot roast down onto the table. 

“So, Trini…Kimberly told us you live alone with your mother?” Andrew asks, and Trini nods.

“Yeah. It’s just me and Diana, has been my whole life.” Trini says with a smile.

“Diana, that’s a beautiful name.” Maddy says with a smile. 

“She’s a beautiful mother.” Trini says fondly, and Andrew chuckles. 

“Kimberly told us you were adopted, too. It’s nice to see you consider her your real mother regardless.”

“I do. She raised me, looked after me my whole life…to say she isn’t would be an insult, you know?” Trini says, and Andrew smiles and nods.

“I understand completely.” 

“What does your mother do for work?” Maddy asks.

“She’s a massive history buff, loves buying and selling old historic antiques. She touches up statues and artwork as well, keeps them from fading or chipping away.”

“Wow, that’s a demanding job. Bit strange for her to be living in Angel Grove, though. Nothing historic here, well, except for whatever the Power Rangers are protecting.” Andrew says with a frown. 

“We’ve traveled around a lot, but mom decided she finally wanted to settle down. She just travels to different locations now.” Trini says hastily, wanting to take the attention off the Power Rangers. 

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but is she alright with your relationship with Kimberly?” Maddy asks abruptly, and Trini’s heart stops.

“Mom!” Kimberly exclaims, and Trini tries her best to smile.

“No, it’s okay. Um, yeah, she is. She’s always told me she just wants me to be happy, and she sees how happy Kimberly makes me.”

“Her mom also isn’t homophobic.” Kimberly says harshly, and Trini closes her eyes and mentally has to stop herself from groaning.

“I’m not homophobic, Kimberly, I’m just trying to understand.” Maddy says, and Andrew sighs as Kimberly glares at her mother.

“You said you were okay with it.”

“I am okay with it-.”

“Doesn’t seem like it!” Kimberly growls.

“Kim…” Trini grips her hand, and Kimberly looks at her, clenching her jaw tightly as Trini rubs calming circles into the back of her palm.

“Kimberly, give us a bit of a break, sweetheart. We didn’t even know bisexuality was something that existed-.”

“I’m still not sure it does.” Maddy says stiffly, and Andrew looks at her with wide eyes.

“Maddy-.”

“Kimberly, we just want to make sure that this isn’t some kind of phase-.”

“It’s not a phase! God, you’re so paranoid about whatever everyone in the family will think and I don’t understand why! They’re half a world away, Mom, who cares what they think?!” 

“Kimberly Ann Hart, do not raise your voice at your mother.” Andrew says calmly, and Maddy sighs.

“Kimberly, I want you to be happy, that’s all I want! It’s all any mother ever wants!” She says, pointing at Trini to reference her earlier statement about Diana wanting her to be happy. 

“I am happy! I’ve told you that so many times!”

“And I can see it, but what happens when other people find out about this relationship? When you can’t hold her hand in public without people staring? When you can’t kiss her, or hug her, or do anything without people looking at you in disgust?” Maddy says, tears welling in her eyes, and Kimberly falls silent, looking back and forth between her parents angrily as hot tears fall down her face. 

“I just want you to be safe, Kimberly! I want you to realize that this relationship, despite how happy it makes you now, won’t make you happy forever. You’ll notice the stares, you’ll notice the looks of disgust, you’ll notice the friends you’ll lose…and I don’t want you to suffer because of it.” 

Trini’s gaze falls down to her lap, her heart pounding against her chest painfully as a mixture of emotions swirl inside her.

Anger at what Maddy is saying, sadness over Maddy thinking these things in the first place, but ultimately…fear.

Fear that Kimberly will see that what Maddy is saying is true.

“I just think that maybe you’re in shock over what happened with Ty, Kimberly. And it’s okay to think that maybe men aren’t right for you, but-.”

“Stop. Just, stop.” Kimberly whispers, closing her eyes as tears fall down her face. 

“Kim-.”

“Stop. I never said I’m not attracted to men anymore, Mom, I’m bisexual. It means I’m attracted to men and women, and if you think there’s something wrong with that then you think there’s something wrong with me.”

“Kimmy, that’s not what I’m saying-.”

“Let me finish.” Kimberly says firmly, and Maddy and Andrew exchange looks before they fall silent, both of them watching their daughter intently.

“If you think…god, if you think even for a second that Ty was better for me than Trini is, that you clearly don’t have my happiness in mind. Ty treated me like crap, and you know it. And Trini…” Kimberly’s voice breaks, more tears falling before she can stop them, and Trini grips her wrist gently.

“I get it. I do. You want me to stay safe, you want me to be okay, to be happy…Trini makes me happy. She makes me feel okay, she makes me feel safe. She makes me feel so many different things, but most of all, she makes me feel alive. I love her. And I’m sorry, but if you can’t accept that, then maybe I shouldn't be your daughter.” 

Trini’s heart feels like it’s beating at Barry’s superhuman speed at this point, but Kimberly’s words cause tears to form in her eyes before she can stop them, her grip on Kimberly’s hand tightening as Kimberly purses her lips.

“Kimberly, don’t say that, you know we accept it-.”

“Everything you just said contradicts that, Mom.” Kimberly says with a sad smile, and Maddy stops short as Andrew sighs.

“Kimberly, you need to give us time.” 

“I know that. And I’m willing to give it to you. But don’t ask me to bring Trini into this house if you’re going to make her feel uncomfortable. I refuse to do that to her. So until you’re one hundred percent comfortable with us being together…this dinner is over.” 

Kimberly stands, dragging Trini along with her as Andrew and Maddy look at their daughter in shock.

“Kimberly-.”

“No. I love Trini too much to ask her to stay when you’re acting like this. I respect her too much. She deserves better.” 

It falls silent, and Trini has no idea what to say, or do, or think-

“I’ll come back home as soon as I’ve dropped her off home.” Kimberly mumbles, and then she tugs on Trini’s hand gently, moving behind the seat as Trini follows her.

“Thank you for the invitation.” Trini says in a small voice, barely looking at Maddy and Andrew, and they don’t get the chance to reply as Kimberly drags Trini back toward the stairs and down them, grabbing the keys on the hook beside the front door before they both exit into the chilly twilight of the sun setting.

“Kim…” Trini stops Kimberly with a pull of her hand, feels Kimberly’s arm trembling as she touches her shoulder, and Kimberly lets out a choked sob.

“I thought…I thought it would b-be okay-.”

“Shh…” Trini pulls her in, hugging her tightly as Kimberly buries her head into Trini’s shoulder, crying loudly as Trini rubs circles into the skin of her back.

“Shh, come on. Let’s go back to my house, alright?” Trini murmurs, and Kimberly nods, hands Trini the keys as they both walk to Kimberly’s car in silence.

Trini holds her hand and doesn’t let her go the entire drive there, Kimberly alternating between simply sniffing before crying loudly, and the boys pop up in the backseat halfway there, all of them with looks of concern on their faces.

“Hey, we could feel your emotions through the bond, what happened?” Jason asks softly, and Trini simply shakes her head, watches as Jason frowns before sighing and rubbing circles into Kimberly’s forearm.

“They’ll come around, Kim.” Billy says.

“And even if they don’t, you’ve got us.” Zack says with a sad smile, and Kimberly gives them a shaky laugh before she dissolves into tears once more.

When they get back to her place, Trini gives the boys a look that has them all leaning over the seat to press a kiss to Kimberly’s forehead before disappearing, and Trini sighs and grips Kimberly’s hand.

“Come on, babe…”

They both exit the car, Trini with her arm around Kimberly’s waist as Kimberly buries her head into Trini’s shoulder, and as soon as they walk through the front door, Diana runs up to them with a look of concern.

“Hey, you’re early-oh…” She sees the look on Trini’s face, sees Kimberly’s tear stricken face as well, and she lets out a long sigh of disappointment before holding her arms open.

“Come here, young one…” She whispers, and Kimberly lets out a choked sob before she lets go of Trini and pretty much collapses into Diana’s arms, crying into her chest loudly as Diana hugs her tightly.

“It’s okay…shh…” 

Trini sighs as Diana holds her arm out for Trini too, and she enters the embrace, wrapping her arms around Kimberly and Diana as Diana presses a kiss to both of their temples.

“Are you going to stay here the night?” Diana murmurs into Kimberly’s hair, and she nods.

“I don’t want to go back.”

“You told them you would, Kim.” Trini says softly. Kimberly sighs, and Trini pulls away from Diana, looking up at her sadly.

“Give us a second?” Diana nods, touches Kimberly’s cheek softly as she enters the living room, and Trini pulls Kimberly into her embrace.

“Babe, you have to talk with them, okay?”

“I don’t wanna go back, Trin.” She whispers, and Trini sighs.

“I know…you can come back if you want, but you still need to go back home and talk to them about this…” 

Kimberly shakes her head, and Trini chuckles.

“You’re gonna get me in more trouble if you don’t.” She says, and Kimberly tenses in her arms before she sighs.

“I hate when you’re right.” Trini laughs, presses a kiss to her hair.

“I know.” 

Kimberly leaves hesitantly, and Trini doesn’t want her to go, dreads what’s waiting for when she gets home, and she offers to stay with her through the link, but Kimberly shakes her head.

“I should do this on my own.” 

Trini nods once, watches Kimberly leave sadly, and as soon as she’s gone, she joins Diana in the living room, curling up into her lap as Diana sighs.

“What happened, little one?” She whispers.

“It was going really well, and then it just…her mom just clearly isn’t happy with us being together, and she started asking questions that Kimberly didn’t like…it was like there was a lot of tension there that’s been bubbling over for ages. Just sucks that it had to happen today…” 

“Mmm…are you okay though?”

“Yeah, I’m fine…I’m just worried about Kim…” 

“She’ll be okay, little one. You just have to be there for her.”

“I will be.”

"I'm sorry you both had to go through that..." She whispers, and Trini nods.

"So am I."

Diana holds her close, simply comforts her as Trini feels tears fall down her cheeks before she wipes them away and sighs, gratitude and love filling her as she looks at Diana with a loving smile.

"You're the best mother ever, I hope you know that." And Diana smiles and presses a kiss to her forehead.

"I try." 

-

It’s almost one in the morning when Kimberly comes back.

Trini’s on the verge of drifting off to sleep, and she rubs her eyes tiredly, contemplates texting Kimberly and asking her if she’s still coming when she hears the sound of the window sliding up.

“Kim?” She calls out softly.

“Yeah, it’s me…” Kimberly says, her voice shaking as she climbs through the window before standing. She closes the window behind her, leaving it open only a little bit to let cool air in as Trini sits up in her bed.

“Are you okay?” She whispers softly. She hears Kimberly sniff, watches the outline of her body as she walks over to Trini before crawling onto the bed and Trini barely has time to say anything before she’s kissing Trini deeply, her lips urgent against her own as Trini whines against her before pulling away.

“Kim, don’t you think we should talk about what’s wrong?” She whispers.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Trini. I can’t talk about it. I just want you. All of you.” She breathes.

“Kim…”

“Please…please, Trini…” She whispers, and Trini feels her heart break at the desperation in her voice, and she runs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair, pulls her down and wraps her arms around her tightly.

“Shh…you can cry if you want to, Kim-.”

“I’m sick of crying about it, Trini. I just want to be with you. I don’t want to think about my parents, I don’t want to think about them being angry and yelling at me. I want to be happy. You make me happy. I want you.” She pushes herself up, kissing Trini’s jaw as she does, and Trini bites down on her lip in hesitation.

“I want you, too. I always will, you know that.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Kimberly breathes against her lips, and Trini sighs.

“I don’t want to have sex when you’re upset.” She mumbles, and Kimberly surprises her by shaking her head.

“I’m not upset.” 

“Kim-.”

“I’m not. Feel me through the link. I’m not lying.” She whispers. Trini sighs, but closes her eyes, focuses her on energy on Kimberly.

All she feels back is desire, lust, happiness, but there’s still a hint of anger there, still a hint of despair as Trini opens her eyes and looks down at her girlfriend sadly.

“Did they say something else to you?” She whispers. Kimberly shakes her head.

‘They told me I shouldn’t have run off, but that they understand why I was upset. They told me they just need time, and I get that. I do. But it doesn’t mean I’m not upset that they can’t just accept me for who I am…”

“I know, baby…” 

Kimberly sighs, leans in and presses a gentle kiss to Trini’s lips.

“Power down your coin.” She whispers. 

“What?” Kimberly shakes her head, rests her forehead against Trini’s before she kisses her again and suddenly pushes her down onto the bed.

“Power down your coin.” She says more firmly this time, and Trini reaches under her pillow for her Power Coin, looks at the bright Yellow flare of color that erupts from it before she focuses her energy, and it immediately dies down, the Yellow growing dim as she rests it on her bedside table.

Kimberly reaches into the breast pocket of her denim blouse, pulls out her own Power Coin, and Trini can see her face from the pink glow, can see the tear marks on her face before she focuses her energy and the light begins to dim into a clear pink.

She rests it next to Trini’s before leaning down to kiss her again, and Trini sighs against her lips, tangles a hand in her hair before pulling her back gently.

“Are you sure?” She asks, and Kimberly smiles.

“I always am.” 

After that, it’s all heated, teeth and tongue dragging and biting down on skin and lips as Trini’s fingers play with Kimberly’s thighs that are straddling her hips, her fingers reaching underneath Kimberly’s skirt as she gasps against the skin of Trini’s neck.

“Trin…”

“You gotta keep it quiet, Diana’s in the other room.” Trini whispers with a smile, and Kimberly whines before she pulls back and cradles Trini’s face in her hands.

“I’m sorry about dinner.”

“It’s okay.” Trini kisses her, teeth tugging on her bottom lip as her hand snakes into Kimberly’s underwear to her center, her fingers already growing slick with wet and Kimberly gasps, her hips rocking down against Trini’s hand as her nails dig into the back of Trini’s neck.

“I…fuck, I wish they could…”

“Kim, baby, not the best time to be talking about this.” Trini breathes, her fingers moving down further until she finds what she’s looking for. The second two fingers enter her, Kimberly lets a low moan, her brow furrowed as she nods desperately. 

“R-Right…”

Trini presses a kiss to her neck, her teeth scraping against her skin and reveling in the goosebumps that erupt there as Kimberly shudders against her, and Trini uses her free hand to tug at Kimberly’s shirt. 

Kimberly gets the message, and Trini watches in amazement as she unbuttons the shirt in a matter of seconds, sliding it down her arms and off her body before throwing it behind her, and Trini blinks in surprise before she lifts Kimberly further onto her lap, her fingers moving in deeper as Kimberly gasps, and grips onto her more firmly.

“Fuck, Trin…”

“Shh…” Trini continues where she left off, using her hips to further the movement of her hand as Kimberly rocks down against it as well, her whole body shaking above Trini, who continues to press kisses to every inch of skin she can reach, eventually sinks her teeth into her neck and sucks her skin into her mouth, finds herself grinning as Kimberly whimpers at the feeling before she pulls back to see the blood forming beneath her skin even in the dark-

“Trini, I’m-.”

“Let go, it’s okay, I’ve got you…” 

Kimberly shakes, digs her nails into Trini’s shoulder as she lets out a soft cry before burying her head into Trini’s shoulder to muffle her moans, and Trini slows down her strokes, eases out of her gently as her body relaxes into Trini’s arms.

“I’ve got you, shh…” 

Trini pulls her down on top of her, presses a kiss to her hair as Kimberly sighs against her.

It doesn't take her long before she's crying softly, and Trini feels her heart break, presses kiss after kiss to Kimberly's head before Kimberly looks up at her, shaking her head as she wipes her tears away.

“I’m good.”

"You sure?" Trini whispers hoarsely, and Kimberly smiles.

"I love you, you know that, right? You're always there for me, always willing to do whatever I need you to do...I couldn't ask for anyone better." She whispers, and Trini smiles.

"I love you, too. And you know I'll do whatever it takes to see that smile." She says, poking Kimberly's cheek as she grins, and Kimberly bites her lip before she leans down and kisses her, and Trini kisses her back gently before Kimberly deepens the kiss with a moan.

"Your turn." She whispers, and Trini laughs against her lips.

"You don't have to." But Kimberly hovers over her, raises an eyebrow before she leans down and bites down on Trini’s lower lip.

“I’m not a pillow princess.”

“No, but you are a princess.” Trini teases, and Kimberly growls playfully.

“I’ll show you princess…”

And show her she does.

The sun is rising through the curtains, illuminating the room with rays of orange by the time Trini and Kimberly fall back down onto the bed, both of them gasping for air and entirely spent as Trini cuddles up into Kimberly’s arms, and Kimberly sighs tiredly, runs her fingers over the sweat soaked skin of Trini’s bare back lazily as Trini presses kisses to the already bruised skin of her neck and collarbone.

“Maybe we should have sex when you’re upset more often…” Trini breathes, and Kimberly laughs.

“Do you think Diana heard us?” She asks, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“I’m sure the pillows muffled our sounds, but that woman can sleep through a storm, trust me. We’re good.” Kimberly nods, presses a kiss to her sweaty forehead. 

“You feeling better?” Trini asks, and Kimberly rolls her eyes.

“We didn’t need to have sex for me to feel better. I told you I was fine. You felt it, too.”

“I know, but I could still feel your anger about the whole thing, too.” Kimberly sighs, bites down on her lip before shaking her head. 

“I just…I don’t want to think about it. There’s nothing I can do to change it, Trin. I just have to give them time, you know?” She whispers, and Trini nods.

“I know…” 

“I love you.” Kimberly says, running her fingers through Trini’s hair.

“I love you, too.” Trini whispers back. Kimberly kisses her gently, hums against her lips before pulling away.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Mm?”

“Yesterday, when Zordon told us the Green Power Coin was looking for a new member…you didn’t seem too happy about it.” Kimberly says softly, and Trini tenses in her arms before she sighs.

“It’s probably because I’m not.” She says bluntly. She looks up to see Kimberly frowning down at her.

“I guess I just associate the Coin with Rita too much.” Trini mumbles sleepily, and Kimberly sighs.

“That’s understandable.”

“Mmm…”

“I’m sure history won’t repeat itself though, babe.” She says softly, and Trini bites down on her lip before she nods against Kimberly’s chest.

“I hope so…”

"Mmm...get some sleep."

"You'll be here when I wake up, right?" Trini murmurs, and Kimberly yawns as she nods. 

"Wouldn't dream of leaving you."

"Ever?" And Kimberly chuckles, presses a kiss to Trini's crown before resting her chin on top of her head gently.

"Ever."


	15. there's been a perception of sweet hearts passing through (some of them left no trace at all, some left her black and blue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Damned If She Do" by The Kills. 
> 
> surprise! new chapter!  
> hope you guys like it, comments are appreciated, and as always, you can message me prompts or scream about this story or any of my others at my tumblr, which is movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com

Panic.

All she can feel is panic and fear.

She can’t breathe, can’t focus, can’t breathe-

Water, water in her lungs, in her nose, in her mouth-

Trini jumps up from her bed, clutches her chest, feels Kimberly stir beside her, and she looks to her bedside table to see Kimberly’s Power Coin still down.

But hers is active, in her hand, glowing bright Yellow-

She closes her eyes, tries her best to tap into the feeling of panic and terror-

Billy.

“Billy!”

Trini opens her eyes, finds herself inside Billy’s room at his house, where he’s sitting up in bed, gasping and clutching at his throat as sweat drips down his forehead-

“BILLY!” Trini runs, runs as fast as she can across the room toward him as she jumps onto his bed and wraps her arms around him from behind, and Billy gasps for air, clutches the arms around his chest, digs his nails into Trini’s forearms-

“Billy, it’s okay! It’s okay! Shh! Breathe, just breathe!” 

“Can’t-Trini-.” He gasps out, shaking his head, and Trini shakes her head.

“The window! Billy, come on, we gotta get to the window.” He nods, jumps up and stumbles and Trini grips his hand as he shoves his window open, and Trini nods as he bows his head outside the window.

“Breathe, okay? Breathe in the fresh air.” Trini says, rubbing his back gently.

“Billy?!” Trini jumps up, turns to see Jason appear behind them, his eyes wide as he runs toward them, and Billy shakes his head before extending his hand to grip Jason’s shirt.

“I’m-good-.” He chokes out.

“Just breathe, buddy.” Jason says softly, placing his hand on top of Trini’s to rub Billy’s back, and Trini can feel Billy starting to calm down as he breathes the fresh air in deeply, sweat dripping from his face as Jason coos softly. 

“Where’s Zack and Kim?” Jason asks, and Trini shakes her head.

“Kim’s Coin is down.”

“Yours was up?”

“I woke up like half an hour ago and turned it on…” Trini says gently, and Jason sighs. 

“Zack’s probably got his Coin down, too.”

“He does it sometimes when he wants to focus on his mom…” Trini says, and Jason nods.

“I’m…I’m okay, guys…” Billy says hoarsely. 

“It’s okay buddy, just keep breathing.” Jason says softly. 

“Nah, I’m good. I’m good…” Billy pulls his head out of the window, takes a deep breath in, and Trini hugs him tightly, and wraps her arms around him as he sighs into her shoulder.

“You okay?” She asks him.

“Yeah…bad dream. It happens sometimes.” He mumbles.

“Yeah, me too.” Trini whispers back.

“At least we got the link now…so I’ve got you guys to help me out now…” He says, pulling away with a smile at Jason, who grips his shoulder.

“Yeah, that’s something at least.” Billy sighs and moves back over to his bed, sits down on it as Trini and Jason sit down on either side of him.

“What was the dream about?” Jason asks slowly, and Billy wipes the sweat from his face with a wince.

“Drowning. Again.” He says gruffly. Trini sighs.

“I dream about Rita sometimes…about what she did to me.” Billy grips her hand and squeezes it tightly, and Trini knows that Billy usually doesn’t like heavy contact with people, knows he must really be shaken if he’s the one seeking contact…

“Do you dream about dying as well?” He whispers.

“Yeah…” Trini says simply, and Billy shakes his head.

“Guys…why didn’t you tell us about this?” Jason asks softly, and Trini sighs.

“It’s not something we can talk about, Jason. We can’t just get over what happened to us by talking about it…” Billy murmurs. Trini squeezes his hand.

“Do you still feel like your body isn’t your own?” She asks. Billy nods.

“Yeah…it’s not so bad anymore, but it happens sometimes…”

“You feeling it right now?” She asks. Billy stares at her for a few moments, then nods slowly.

“Yeah. You?”

“Sometimes…usually after a nightmare.” 

“Yeah, me too…” Trini rests her head on his shoulder, and Jason reaches around and wraps an arm around them both. 

They sit there in silence for a few moments before Trini feels a tug on her arm, and she looks up at Billy and Jason.

“I think Kim’s awake…”

“Go. I got him.” Jason says with a smile, and Trini leans up and presses a kiss to Billy’s cheek.

“I’ll see you at school.” Billy nods, and Trini closes her eyes and opens them to find Kimberly staring at her intently. 

“Everything okay?” She asks softly, and Trini nods once.

“Yeah. Billy had a nightmare…” Kimberly’s eyes widen, and she looks to the bedside table to see her Coin powered down.

“Shit…” She reaches across the bed, grabs her Coin and gasps when it floods with energy, and tears spring to her eyes as she looks at Trini.

“Oh god…”

“He’s a lot better. It was worse before…” Trini says hoarsely, tapping into the mild panic still stirring within Billy.

“Should I go see him?” Trini nods, and Kimberly closes her eyes, her body relaxing as Trini sighs and jumps up from her bed just as there’s a knock on the door.

“Trini? Kim?” Diana opens the door and walks in, and Trini walks over to her, embraces her in a gentle hug as she sighs against her chest.

“Morning…”

“Mmm, good morning, little one. Is Kim okay?” She asks with a frown, and Trini nods as she pulls away from her.

“Yeah, she’s just visiting Billy.” Kimberly suddenly takes a deep breath in as she comes back, and she look up at Diana and Trini with a sigh.

“Jason’s with him…”

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s leaving him any time soon.” Trini says with a smile.

“Did something happen?” Diana asks.

“Billy had a nightmare.” Trini says with a frown, and Diana sighs before she cradles Trini’s face in her hands. 

“You kids have been through too much…” She whispers. Trini bites down on her lip, looks over at Kimberly, who stands and makes her way over to Trini and Diana.

“You okay?” She asks softly. Trini simply nods, and Diana presses a kiss to her temple before leaning over and pressing another one to Kimberly’s hair.

“I’ll make you two breakfast before you go to school…” She mumbles. Kimberly smiles softly at her touch, and Diana smiles at them both before leaving the room. 

“You sure you’re okay?” Kimberly asks, and Trini nods, wraps her arms around her waist as Kimberly buries her head into Trini’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m good. Just worried about Billy.” 

“He’ll be okay. He was smiling when he saw me.”

“Mmm…”

They quickly get changed out of their pajamas and into normal clothes, Trini shoving on jeans and a flannel shirt as Kimberly opens her sleepover bag and grabs her own clothes out of it.

They make their way down the stairs eventually after heading to the bathroom to brush their teeth, fix their hair and put their make-up on to find Diana making them pancakes, humming along to music playing softly from her phone as Trini and Kimberly sit down at the seats at the island. 

“Chocolate chips?”

“Yes, please.”

Diana dances her way to the fridge, and Trini chuckles as Kimberly squeezes her hand gently.

“You’re in a good mood.” Kimberly says, and Diana smiles.

“Mmm, it’s a good day…has Zordon told you anything about this new Green Ranger yet?” Diana asks, and Trini sighs. She’d spoken with Diana about the Green Ranger situation the day after Zordon had told them about it, and Diana had been surprised that the Coins could even choose someone new as a Ranger.

“Did Zordon even tell you that was possible?” She had asked, and Trini had hesitated before Kimberly had sighed.

“Nope.” She had says, popping the ‘p’, and Diana had growled under her breath.

“Unbelievable…”

Trini shakes her head now as Diana watches her intently. 

“No, not yet...I haven’t noticed any potentials, either.” 

“Me neither.” Kimberly says with a frown. Her phone suddenly chimes, and she pulls it out of her pocket before her eyes suddenly widen and she lets out a soft gasp.

“What?” Trini asks, panic getting the better of her, and Kimberly looks at her with tears in her eyes as she lets out a deep breath.

“Amanda’s dad woke up.” She whispers. 

“Really?” Trini says, her eyes widening in shock, and Kimberly nods, opens the message from Amanda.

“Amanda just messaged me, ‘Dad woke up last night, he’s doing a lot better, hoping he can get out in the next few days, won’t be in school today, but thank you for being there for me for the last few days, Kimmy’. He’s okay…” Kimberly lets out a sigh of relief, and Trini smiles and rubs circles into her back gently.

“Amanda?” Diana asks, and Trini smiles sheepishly.

“The girl I kind of almost beat the crap out of when Rita was possessing me…or in my mind…whatever.” Trini grumbles, and Diana frowns.

“Ah…”

“Oh wow, so you told Diana, but you didn’t tell me…” Kimberly grumbles, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Anyway, her Dad got injured in the second attack, he’s been in a coma for the last few weeks, but apparently he’s woken up now.” Trini says with a smile, and Diana grins.

“That’s good!”

“Yeah.” Kimberly nods with a smile. 

Diana finishes their pancakes in no time and loads them onto a plate before dumping them in front of Trini and Kimberly, and she sighs and looks at Trini with a frown.

“If you come home and I’m not here, I’m in Gotham.”

“Gotham?” Trini says in shock, and Diana nods sternly.

“Bruce is having trouble with…something.” Trini raises an eyebrow.

“The Joker or his girlfriend?” Diana sighs.

“Among other things…” 

“Mmm…”

“It’s not a mission, I promise.”

“Even if it is…I can’t hold you back. The world needs you, remember?” Trini murmurs, and Diana purses her lips.

“It does…”

“So, go. But just…be careful.” Trini says, and Diana leans across the island to press a kiss to her forehead.

“I always am.” 

They head to school as soon as their done with breakfast, Trini hugging Diana tightly before Diana pulls Kimberly into the hug as well, and Kimberly drives them to school with one hand gripping Trini’s gently as she tries her best not to worry about Diana.

“She’s gonna be okay…”

“Yeah, I know…” Trini murmurs.

School is a bore, as usual.

Trini manages to get through the day somehow, her mind still on Diana and Billy, who reassures her about a dozen times that he’s okay during the day, which Trini can see in his smile.

But she still worries.

“Having Wonder Woman as your mom maybe made you too compassionate.” Billy says with a chuckle, and Trini grumbles and shoves him lightly, but smiles all the same. 

At the end of the day, Kimberly gets a text message from Amanda to meet her at the Hospital, and Kimberly asks Trini to come with her, which Trini reluctantly agrees to.

“Come on, babe…I don’t wanna go alone.”

“I said I’ll come with you.”

“You don’t seem too happy about it.” 

“I don’t like hospitals…” Trini grumbles.

They assure Jason they’ll join them at the ship after their done before Kimberly drives them to the hospital, and Amanda’s waiting outside for them with a tired smile as Kimberly runs up to her before wrapping her in a hug.

“Hey! How’s your dad?”

“He’s doing a lot better. He’s at least sitting up in bed and he’s talking…he’s still a bit disoriented. Hey, Trini…” Amanda’s smile falters slightly when she sees Trini, and Trini takes a deep breath in before sighing.

“Hey…I’m glad your dad is doing better, Amanda. And…I’m sorry for what I did a few weeks ago. It was uncalled for-.”

“No, it’s…I mean, it was fucked up, sure, but I screwed up, too. Let’s just…forget it ever happened. I’d like for us to be friends.” Amanda says, and Trini smiles and nods.

“Done.”

How strange to have Amanda want to be friends with her…

A thought suddenly crosses Trini’s mind that has her heart pounding, but before she can say anything, Amanda grins and grips Kimberly’s hand.

“Come on, Dad wants to see you.” Amanda says to Kimberly, who blinks in shock.

“Really?”

“Yeah! Come on.” Amanda leads them into the hospital, and Trini grumbles at the sight of sick and injured people around her.

She hates hospitals…

There’s just such a gloomy atmosphere…

Amanda leads them to the left wing and down a few hallways before they reach a private room, and as they’re walking, Trini grips Kimberly’s hand and whispers into her ear as softly as possible.

“Kim, do you think Amanda might be the potential Ranger that Zordon and Alpha were talking about?” 

Kimberly suddenly freezes, causing Trini to slam right into her, and she grunts and stumbles back as Kimberly looks at her in shock.

“No…you think?” She whispers. Trini isn’t sure how the thought even entered her mind, but it makes sense.

Amanda suddenly having a change in heart, in personality, right when the Green Power Coin began to shine again…

“Everything okay?” Amanda calls out, and Kimberly nods as they continue following her down the hallway. Trini doesn’t get the chance to tell Kimberly her thoughts when Amanda comes to a stop in front of what looks like a private room, and Amanda walks in as Kimberly trails in behind her.

“I’ll stay out here.” Trini says softly, and Kimberly squeezes her hand.

“We need to talk about that…thing.” Kimberly says, and Trini nods.

“We will, just…go see her Dad.” Kimberly nods, and Trini sighs as the door closes behind Kimberly before she sits down in the chairs on the wall.

About fifteen minutes pass with Trini alternating between looking down at her phone and looking around the hospital at the nurses and doctors who rush around the place, her heart pounding at the frantic atmosphere as she texts Jason telling him they’ll be there soon.

Diana eventually sends her a text telling her she’s leaving for Gotham later on in the night, and Trini sighs and tells her she’ll be home to say goodbye. 

Another five minutes pass when Trini sees a young girl being wheeled down the hallway, two women trailing behind her with grim expressions on their faces, and Trini looks at the girl in the hospital bed, takes in her hairless head and her sickly expression, and she swallows down the bile that rises in her throat before looking at the two women trailing behind her bed.

They both look exhausted, both look tired beyond belief, and Trini doesn’t even want to begin to wonder how long they’ve had to deal with this…

She’s a superhero, but there’s some things she can’t fix.

And it sucks.

“Trin?” Trini jumps as Kimberly leaves the room, a soft smile on her face as Trini stands up just as the two women look at them with small smiles before they continue down the hallway past them.

“How’d it go?” Trini asks, tearing her eyes away from the girl and her family, and Kimberly sighs.

“Good. But you need to tell me where this idea that Amanda might be the Green Ranger came from…” She says with a frown.

“I don’t know, I just…it makes sense. Amanda’s whole personality has changed, and suddenly the Coin is lighting up…” Trini shrugs, and Kimberly raises an eyebrow.

“I don’t think the Coins chose us for our personalities…it was just our destiny…or something.” She frowns, and Trini laughs.

“You think?”

“I don’t know, I just…I don’t think I could handle Amanda being a Power Ranger…” Kimberly says, and Trini groans.

“I don’t think I could either.” Kimberly chuckles, and Trini sighs.

“Ready to go to training?” 

Kimberly nods, and Trini pretty much dashes out of the hospital as fast as she can, dragging Kimberly along with her. 

As soon as they reach the ship, Jason walks up to them with a look of pure excitement on his face.

“Alpha said the Green coin went haywire last night again.” He says with a grin, and Trini looks at Kimberly knowingly, and she frowns.

“Last night?”

“Yeah. He’s starting to think it might disappear and go to the new Green Ranger within the next few days.” 

Trini sighs, looks at Kimberly, who shakes her head.

“It can’t be…”

“What?” Jason asks, his smile disappearing as Zack and Billy make their way toward them.

“What’s going on?” Zack asks. Kimberly sighs.

“Trini thinks that…that Amanda might be the potential Green Ranger.” She mumbles.

Jason, Zack and Billy blink in surprise before they all turn to Trini to wait for an explanation and she rolls her eyes.

“Look, it makes sense to me. Amanda’s changed since the second attack, she’s reached out to Kimberly for them to be friends again, her whole personality and view on life has changed…what if the Coin is sensing her change and thinks she’s worthy of being a Ranger?”

“The Coins didn’t choose us because of our personalities…d-did they, Jason?” Billy says, looking at Jason.

“I don’t know, Billy.” 

“Well, let’s ask the one man who knows!” Zack says, clapping Billy’s shoulder before he turns to the morphing grid and looks past it at the whole to Zordon, who blinks to life as if he knows the Rangers want to talk to him.

“Zordon…the Coins. Did they choose us because of our personalities?” Zack asks as he makes his way toward the wall. Zordon frowns.

“Before I died, I told the Coins to choose those who were worthy, those who were strong. The Coins chose you because of the strength and bravery within all of you. The willingness to protect those around you with no hesitation, no second thoughts…the Coins chose you, because they saw the potential for greatness.” 

Trini feels a rush of pride run through her, and Jason nods once and looks up at Zordon with his eyes filled with determination.

“So the Coin is looking for someone with strength and bravery?” Zack asks, and Trini watches as Zordon sighs.

“The Coins look for those who are selfless…those who put themselves before others. The Power Rangers are a team of heroes who fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, to protect the Zeo Crystal from being used for ill against those who cannot fight for themselves. The Coins saw that in the five of you.” 

“I didn’t even know we were that.” Zack says with a chuckle, and Zordon shakes his head.

“The five of you willingly began training to defeat Rita.”

“It’s not like it didn’t take a lot of convincing.” Jason mutters, and Zordon chuckles.

“That’s true…but you still trained relentlessly every day for eleven days straight, still continue to train with no complaints in order to keep this town and the world safe. Can you tell me of any other teenagers willing to do that?” Alpha 5 says, and Jason looks over at the others with a grin.

“I guess not.” 

Trini looks at Kimberly, but suddenly finds all care about the Green Ranger erased when she reads the expression on Kimberly’s face.

She looks almost defeated, her gaze dropping down to her feet as Zack and Billy laugh at Jason’s reply.

“Head home, Rangers. You have lives to live, you don’t have to train every day. I should come up with schedule, actually…” Alpha 5 mutters, and Zordon nods.

“Alpha is right. Go home, relax. You’ve all earned a break.” 

“Thanks, Zordon.” 

As soon as they reach the Cliff top, Trini sighs and shakes the water out of her eyes and makes her way toward Kimberly, who avoids eye contact with her until Trini grips her hand.

“Kim?” She looks back at Trini with a sigh. 

“Can we go to your place?” She whispers. Trini frowns.

“What about your parents?” Kimberly shakes her head, and Trini sighs and nods.

“Okay…”

Kimberly drops of Zack, Jason and Billy home before they head to Trini’s house, and as soon as she enters her home, she finds Diana decked out in her Wonder Woman gear making her way down the stairs, her sword and her shield strapped to her back. 

“No training today?” She asks as they walk through, and Trini shakes her head.

“Zordon gave us the day off…”

“Hmm. I left some food in the fridge for you…I shouldn’t be gone for long. A day or two…”

“Okay.” Trini looks at Kimberly, sees the way she shuffles her feet as if she’s unsure about something, and Diana notices it too.

“Everything okay?” She asks. Trini sighs. 

“No…” Trini says, gripping Kimberly’s hand, and Kimberly looks at her sadly.

“You okay? What happened back there?” Trini asks gently. Kimberly hesitates as Diana walks up to them with a frown. 

“Everything Zordon was saying…I wasn’t any of that. Strong or brave…how the hell did the Pink Power Coin choose me? I was mean, and cruel-.”

“Zordon said the Coin looked for selfless people-.” Kimberly interrupts her with a harsh laugh.

“I wasn’t selfless, Trini! I was the most selfish person, look at what I did to Amanda, I just…I don’t deserve to be a Power Ranger.” She says hoarsely, and Trini blinks in shock, exchanges a glance with Diana, who looks between the both of them with her frown only growing deeper. 

“Kim…Kim, you’re worthy of being a Power Ranger, you-you proved that two times now, you fought alongside us-.” Trini starts, but Kimberly shakes her head.

“The Coin shouldn’t have chosen me, Trini! I’m none of the things a Ranger should be! Selfless and brave and strong, those aren’t qualities I have-.”

“STOP!” Trini growls, gripping Kimberly’s face in her hands as tears fall down her face, and Trini brushes them away softly, shaking her head in anguish.

“Just stop! Where is this coming from?” She asks, and Kimberly bites down on her lip as fresh tears fall down her face.

“From truth, Trin. From truth.” She whispers. Trini shakes her head.

“No. There’s no truth to any of that, god, Kim…I get it, I do. You think I didn’t see you before we met? You think I didn’t see the mean things you did, the way you used to be? But that’s just the thing, it’s how you USED to be! It’s not how you are now, not by a long shot.” 

“But I still was that way…” Kimberly whispers, and Trini sighs.

“The Coin didn’t chose the Kimberly Hart who sent those pictures of Amanda to Ty. The Coin chose the Kimberly Hart who ran as fast as she could toward a boy she didn’t even know as soon as she heard an explosion, not even caring about the danger of it, to see if he was okay. The Coin chose the Kimberly Hart who wasn’t influenced by other people, the Kimberly Hart that was resting dormant inside here.” Trini says softly, brushing the tears away from Kimberly’s cheeks before resting her hand on top of Kimberly’s chest over her heart.

Kimberly sighs, and Trini can still feel the self-doubt stirring within her. Diana reaches out and touches Kimberly’s shoulder, a small smile on her face.

“You think you’re not worthy of being a Power Ranger. You think you don’t possess the qualities to be a hero.” She concludes, and Kimberly bites down on her lip before nodding once.

“I wasn’t a good person, Diana.”

“None of us are. We all have things we’ve done that we wish we could take back, Kimberly. We make mistakes...it’s how we move past them and how we use those mistakes to define ourselves that make us who we are. You used your mistakes to make a change within yourself. That’s bravery. That’s selflessness. That’s strength.” Diana says firmly. Trini nods enthusiastically, and Kimberly chuckles, a small smile lighting her face and Trini can feel the rush of determination that floods through Kimberly’s body.

“You think?” She whispers. Diana chuckles.

“I know. It’s what I’ve done for the last nine hundred years. We’re always going to doubt ourselves and who we are, Kimberly. But the fact that you continue to push forward, continue to fight regardless…that’s what makes you worthy of being a Power Ranger.” 

Kimberly looks at Diana with eyes filled with love and gratitude, and she takes a deep breath in before she closes her eyes, the last of her tears still clinging to her eyelashes falling as she does.

“Kim…”

“I’m sorry. I just…”

“Shh, don’t be sorry. Come here.” Trini kisses her softly, lips gentle as she moves her lips down to her jaw before burying her head into Kimberly’s shoulder and hugging her. Kimberly sighs into her touch, and Diana wraps her arms around the both of them, pressing a kiss to both their heads before she pulls away.

“I have to go…stay safe, both of you.”

“You, too.” Diana smiles, but leaves through the front door, and Trini can hear her take off, the sound an almost muted thud as her feet dig into the concrete to propel her upwards, and Trini buries her head back into Kimberly’s neck, pressing a kiss to her collarbone.

“Your mom is the best. Seriously.” Kimberly says, and Trini chuckles before Kimberly shakes her head and pulls away from her.

“Trini, seriously. I don’t think any of us would’ve survived the last few months without her. She’s been our backbone through all of this. Zordon keeps shit from us all the time, and training is fucking horrible, but she…the way she keeps telling us that being a superhero isn’t something to be afraid of…like I said, I don’t think any of us would’ve survived the last few months without her.” Kimberly says, and Trini smiles.

“I don’t think I would’ve survived the last seventeen years without her.” She whispers. Kimberly smiles, presses a kiss to her forehead, but laughs and pulls away with a smile when Trini’s stomach grumbles loudly. 

“Come on…let’s get some food.”

“Mmm…what should we do after?” Trini asks, and Kimberly wipes away the remainder of her tears with a grin.

“Well, we do have the house to ourselves…” She says, waggling her eyebrows. Trini grins.

“Dirty. You’re a dirty Power Ranger.”

“Mmm, can we do a date night?” Kimberly whispers, leaning in to press a soft kiss to Trini’s lips.

“Yeah…” Trini nods with a smile, bumping her head against Kimberly’s as they move toward the kitchen.

Trini reheats the lasagna Diana has left for her in the fridge in the microwave as Kimberly dashes to the living room to grab a blanket before grabbing Trini’s hand and leading her outside. 

“Oh, a picnic?”

“An evening picnic.” Kimberly says, laying the blanket down on the grass as Trini chuckles and lays down the two plates of lasagna. 

Trini cuts off a piece and stabs it with the fork before holding it up for Kimberly, who grins and leans forward before wrapping her lips around the fork.

“Mmm…dude, where did Diana learn how to cook?” Kimberly says through a mouthful of food, and Trini shrugs.

“She’s had a hundred years to practice.” Kimberly laughs, presses a soft kiss to Trini’s lips.

They watch the sun set over the horizon as they eat, sharing food and kisses while they do. 

Jason sends Trini a text message asking if he can visit through the link, and Trini raises an eyebrow at Kimberly, who grins.

“I mean, he can for a little bit, but we have the house to ourselves…” She sing songs.

Trini quickly types out a reply.

_Kim and I have the house to ourselves, probably not a good idea tbh._

Jason responds almost immediately.

_Jason Scott (1)._  
_Noted! Never mind! Uh…have fun!_

Trini laughs, shows Kimberly the response, and Kimberly laughs loudly. 

As soon as night falls, they move inside, cuddle on the couch and watch a movie, but they’re barely twenty minutes in before Kimberly hums under her breath and leans in, pressing a kiss to Trini’s jaw.

“Mmm…Coins need to be powered down.”

Trini digs into her pocket immediately, powers down her Coin and puts it on the coffee table as Kimberly does the same, and as soon as she places it on the table beside Trini’s,  
Trini wraps her arms around Kimberly’s shoulder and takes her earlobe between her teeth, biting gently as Kimberly mewls softly.

“What about the movie?” Kimberly gasps out.

“Fuck the movie.” Trini growls, and Kimberly whines before she practically jumps on top of Trini, shoving her down onto the couch and kissing her desperately as Trini grips her shirt and pulls her down on top of her as well before pulling her shirt up and over her head and tossing it to the ground. 

Kimberly’s hands roam underneath Trini’s shirt, her kisses moving down her neck before she bites down on the skin at her pulse point and sucks the skin between her teeth, her nails raking down Trini’s stomach as Trini hisses in pain. 

“Kim…”

“What?” Kimberly breathes out before attacking her neck again, and Trini swallows down the lump in her throat, tries her best to breathe despite her pounding heart.

“Shouldn’t we take this…upstairs?” Trini gasps out. 

“Why?”

“Bed…there’s a…fuck, a bed…” Trini manages to get out as Kimberly’s thumb brushes underneath the wire of her bra. 

“Couch not comfortable for you?” Kimberly says, leaning up to kiss her lips softly. Trini shakes her head.

“Only thinking…about your comfort…princesa.” She teases, and Kimberly growls at the nickname, bites down on Trini’s neck for the hundredth time before she begins unbuttoning Trini’s flannel shirt. 

“Mmm…Diana might not be too happy about us fucking on her couch.”

“Don’t mention my Mom, please, it ruins the moment.” Trini groans, and Kimberly laughs as she undoes the first three buttons of Trini’s shirt before pressing a kiss to the skin above her right breast.

“Fine. Bedroom.” She says, standing up off Trini and grabbing her shirt off the ground, and Trini practically jumps off the couch and races toward the stairs as Kimberly chases after her with a laugh. 

As soon as they’re inside Trini’s room, Kimberly grabs her and slams her up against the back of the door, lifting her up before carrying her over to the bed and resting her down on it quickly, and she continues where she left off, unbuttoning Trini’s shirt as she moves her lips down to Trini’s neck again.

Trini winces as she bites down on an already bitten part of her neck lightly.

“Fuck, Kim…you’re gonna leave so many marks.” Trini whispers and Kimberly leans up and kisses her with a grin.

“Good.” Trini whines as Kimberly attacks her neck again before she undoes the final button and opens Trini’s shirt up to expose her body. 

Her fingers roam over the small scars on her stomach, rest on top of the big one that mars her skin with white, raised flesh, and Trini runs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair with a sigh.

Kimberly presses a kiss to the scar on her stomach, looks up at her with a warm smile before she straddles Trini’s hips and unhooks her own bra, ripping it off her body before moving back down to kiss Trini lightly. 

“I love you.” She whispers, moving down Trini’s chest and stomach, and she smiles, runs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair again.

“I love you.” She whispers back. 

Kimberly moves further down, kisses between Trini’s hipbones as she pushes her shirt up, and Trini’s back arches off the bed as she grips the sheets between her fists. 

Trini removes her own shirt, feels Kimberly lean up and hook her hand underneath Trini’s body to unclasp her bra as Trini rips it off her body, and Kimberly palms her breasts, groans along with Trini as she kisses her way down her stomach again. 

“Kim…”

“Shh.” Kimberly unbuttons her jeans torturously slow, and Trini can feel her whole body aching with desire, wants so desperately for Kimberly to just rip the rest of her clothes off her body-

“You okay?” Kimberly asks, pressing a kiss to her hipbone, and Trini licks her lips and nods.

“Mhmm…” She whines out, not trusting herself to speak at all. Kimberly laughs, suddenly tugs her jeans down roughly as Trini’s breath hitches at the action.

“You’re killing me.” She whispers, and Kimberly laughs again.

“Really? I thought I was pleasing you.”

“You mean torturing me with how slow you are, whhhhhyyyyyy are you liiiiike thiiiiisssssss?” Trini groans as Kimberly tugs off her underwear, and Kimberly laughs loudly, rests her forehead against Trini’s stomach to compose herself as Trini runs her fingers through Kimberly’s hair with a chuckle.

“I love that you make me laugh.” Kimberly says, moving up Trini’s body to kiss her.

“Mmm, what else do you love about me?” She teases, and Kimberly grins, kisses her again.

“I love…making you laugh…and your laugh itself…I love your smile…your body…” Trini’s smile fades as Kimberly’s fingers roam down her stomach before finding her center, and Trini bites down on her lip.

“My laugh? Really? I hate my laugh.” She breathes. 

“No, it’s cute.” Kimberly whispers, pressing gentle kisses to the corners of her mouth before moving down to her neck again.

“The neck again?!” Trini moans, and Kimberly collapses against her in laughter.

“I’m sorry! Your neck is my favorite part of you, shh…” 

“Wow, just my neck, huh? How rude-fuck me…” Trini whimpers as Kimberly presses two fingers into her gently, her hips bucking up despite her attempts not to as Kimberly continues pressing kisses to Trini’s neck, teeth grazing the skin every once in a while as her fingers move faster and harder against her.

“Kim, fuck…” Trini moans softly, her nails digging into Kimberly’s shoulder blades as Kimberly grunts and eventually moves her knee between Trini’s legs to help her thrusts move in deeper.

“Oh my god…Kim, I’m-.” Trini cuts herself off, shaking her head as her whole body shakes beyond her control, and Kimberly sighs against her jaw, pressing a kiss to her jawline before whispering in her ear.

“What do you need?” She whispers, and the words send Trini’s whole body into a writhing state as she arches her back off the bed.

“Harder-.” She manages to gasp out, and Kimberly obliges, moves harder, faster even, and it isn’t long before Trini finds herself scratching down Kimberly’s back as her eyes squeeze shut, a loud moan of pure euphoria escaping her as her body shakes under Kimberly, who gently brings her down with kisses and soft strokes of her fingers before she pulls them slowly, causing Trini to let out a final shudder and one last moan before she collapses onto the bed, Kimberly resting her head on Trini’s chest.

A few moments of silence pass, both of them simply catching their breath before Kimberly hums and presses a kiss to her neck. 

“As I was saying…your neck is my favorite part…”

“Mmm, why is it your favorite?” Trini says hoarsely, her mind still spinning and a smile still plastered on her face as she blinks lazily up at the ceiling. Kimberly presses another kiss to her neck, gentle this time before moving up to her lips.

“Because it’s the most sensitive…your neck and your stomach.” 

“Oh, figured that out on your own, huh?” Trini says with a breathless chuckle, and Kimberly smiles and kisses her tenderly before bumping their noses together. 

“I did…” Trini smiles before she wraps her arms around Kimberly and flips them until she’s on top straddling Kimberly’s waist, and she kisses her deeply before pulling away with a grin.

“In that case, I think it’s time I find all your sensitive places…”

-

“Wow…looks like someone got some.”

Trini’s fist strikes out and hits Zack square in the chest as she adjusts her scarf to cover her neck once more, her cheeks turning bright red as Kimberly grins proudly.

“Yep, she definitely did.”

“Too much info.” Jason groans, but Zack waggles his eyebrows at them.

“Get much sleep, crazy girl?” 

“Zack, do me a favor. Shut the fuck up.” 

Trini is exhausted, but for the first time in her life, it’s for a good reason. 

Her and Kimberly did not get a wink of sleep last night.

But…at least she got her own marks in on Kimberly.

Only trouble is, she’s wearing them on her neck proudly, even though Trini had begged her to at least attempt to cover some of them up with makeup.

Which she had.

But they were still visible, shining on her neck in a cavalcade of red and blue. 

Trini hadn’t even bothered with hers, they were beyond any help makeup could give her.

She thought a scarf could help, but of course Zack had picked up on their shifty behavior the second he saw the bruises on Kimberly’s neck and chest.

“Do you think anyone else will notice?” Trini asks Kimberly as they walk down the hallways of the school, and Kimberly shrugs.

“Probably.” 

Trini groans, and Zack laughs loudly.

“Should’ve thought about that before you spent the whole night fuc-.”

Trini shoves him so hard, he slams into the lockers and dents them.

The day goes by slowly, Trini can feel the marks on her neck beginning to heal thanks to their accelerated Ranger healing, and by the time the lunch break rolls around, most of her marks are gone.

Kimberly’s are mostly gone as well, only a few ones standing out still against her tanned skin as she sits in front of Jason at one of the tables in the cafeteria.

Trini sits beside Jason as Billy sits beside Kimberly, and Trini frowns as she looks around the place for Zack until Jason suddenly sighs.

“He went home. Something about his mom…” He murmurs, and Trini’s heart drops.

“Shit. Is everything okay?”

“I’m not sure…” Trini frowns, looks up at Kimberly, who looks a little anxious as she reaches over and grips Trini’s hand.

“Text him.” Trini nods once, about to pull out her phone and text him when there’s the sound of loud yelling that causes her to jump and drop her phone onto the table in shock.  
Jason, Kimberly, Billy and Trini all look toward the source of the noise before there’s the sound of cheering and yelling, and Trini’s about to stand when Jason grips her forearm and shakes his head.

“We can’t draw attention to ourselves.” He says in a low voice, and Trini frowns, looks up again at the crowd of people gathering around what looks like two girls as Billy’s eyes widen.

“I think it’s a fight.” He says anxiously.

“Fuck her up, Sasha! Kick this new girl’s ass!” Someone yells, and Trini looks at Kimberly, who looks at Jason before she stands and Trini is about to follow her when there’s the sound of a whistle blowing loudly across the cafeteria.

“ENOUGH! BREAK IT UP!”

They hear Mrs. Childs, the P.E teacher yell loudly before she’s running toward the commotion, two other teachers following behind her, and Kimberly slowly falls back down into her seat as Trini sighs with relief and follows suite.

“Jeez, some new kid’s already getting in a fight? Not a smart idea.” Jason says with a chuckle. 

“Whatever, as long as it doesn’t involve us, I’m happy.” Trini mutters.

The rest of the day passes by without incident, and even though Trini has no idea who this new girl is and doesn’t see her at all, she does see Sasha Browning sporting a black eye and an annoyed scowl as she’s escorted out of the school on an apparent suspension by her equally pissed off parents.

Trini calls Zack as soon as school is done, and when he answers with a less than enthusiastic greeting, worry grips Trini tightly and refuses to let go.

“Zack, is everything okay?” She asks immediately, and he sighs.

“Yeah, mom’s just…she’s not doing so great.” Zack murmurs.

“Do you want us to come over?”

“No, no, it’s all cool, T. You guys go train, I’ll see you tomorrow in detention, alright?” Trini frowns, but nods nonetheless. 

“Okay…call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Sure thing.”

“Love you, Zack.” Trini mutters. Zack chuckles softly.

“Love you too, crazy girl.” 

Trini and the others head to the ship to train after school, which results in more bruises ending up on Trini’s skin as she lands on her butt, back, chest and shoulders over and over again due to new moves being practiced by Jason (her daggers still haven’t been used in training and Trini’s starting to get a little antsy just having them rest in her wardrobe), with Zack popping in eventually using the link to observe the new moves before he ducks back out, and when Trini tries to reach him and finds she can’t, she knows he has his Power Coin down.

“I’m worried about Zack.” She tells Jason as they make their way back to her house after training, and he sighs and nods.

“I know, me too. I tried to reach him before but-.”

“His Coin is down.” She finishes, and Jason nods. 

They end up ordering pizza and doing their homework together in order to spend a weekend relaxing (Amanda apparently spoke to Jason about not needing to do hers and Harper’s homework anymore, something that both disappoints Billy, but also fills him with relief), and end up watching a movie before Billy and Jason head out, Jason taking Kimberly’s car and offering to pick them up for detention tomorrow in it. 

“Your parents would kill you if they knew you’re letting Jason Scott borrow your car.” Trini tells Kimberly with a yawn a little later on in the night, and Kimberly shrugs and cuddles up to her.

“They’d also kill me if they knew I’m sleeping here all the time.”

“What do you tell them, anyway?”

“Mmm, that I’m Billy’s doing homework. His mom covers for me.”

“God, gotta love Candace Cranston.” Kimberly laughs.

“We should go see her soon, we haven’t been to Billy’s in a while.”

“I know, this has kind of become the hang out spot.” Trini says with a chuckle, looking around her home fondly, and Kimberly sighs.

“It’s the only place we feel at peace. We get judgement left right and center at home but here...”

“Diana doesn’t judge.” Trini finishes, and Kimberly nods once as Trini sighs.

“I miss her…”

“Have you heard from her?” Kimberly asks, and Trini nods once.

“She sent me a text in the afternoon, said she doesn’t know when she’ll be home but that she’s safe…” 

“Mm, good.”

It’s silent for a few moments, and Trini can feel herself starting to drift off to sleep before she grips Kimberly’s hand in her own and gives it a gentle squeeze.

“So hey, I know we have the house to ourselves, which should mean non-stop sex, but considering we did that all last night-.”

“You wanna actually sleep tonight?” Kimberly mumbles, and Trini groans.

“God, yes please.” She whispers hoarsely, her body throbbing with pain and Kimberly laughs and presses a kiss to her cheek.

“You read my mind, Trini Prince.”

-

It’s soft fingers pulling through her hair gently that pull her out of her sleep, and she blinks sleepily and attempts to slap the hand away, thinking it’s Kimberly as she groans.

“Babe, stop-.”

“It’s me, little one.”

Trini’s eyes snap open, and Diana smiles down at her gently, dressed now in her pajamas as Trini whines and jumps up, wrapping her arms around Diana’s neck tightly.

“Wassit?” Kimberly mumbles sleepily beside her, and Diana chuckles as she hugs Trini to her body, burying her head in her daughter’s shoulder.

“I missed you, little one.”

“I missed you, too.” Trini whispers. They both pull away as Kimberly finally comprehends what’s going on, and Diana chuckles and leans over Trini to hug Kimberly as well.

“How’d it go?” Trini asks, her voice husky with sleep, and Diana sighs, her smile fading as she shakes her head.

“Bruce thinks he’s younger than he is…keeps going after things and people he can no longer keep up with…scoot.” She says, pushing Trini lightly, and Trini shuffles closer to Kimberly to accommodate room for Diana, who sighs and yawns as she curls up beside her daughter. 

“He’s okay though, right?” Trini asks with worry, and Diana nods.

“Mm, he’s fine. We can talk about it in the morning. Come here.” Trini chuckles as Diana opens her arms for Trini, who cuddles up against her before Diana reaches past her for Kimberly.

“You, too.” She says, closing her eyes tiredly, and Kimberly chuckles and cuddles up to Trini, pressing her face into Trini’s back as Diana’s long arms manage to wrap around the both of them.

Trini finds herself drifting off to sleep easily now that Diana’s with her as well, and despite her fatigue, Diana is somehow the first one up.

“Come on, you two, detention.” She says through a yawn as she rubs her eyes, and Trini grumbles as Kimberly presses a kiss to her hair before stretching, her joints cracking and echoing around the room as Trini grabs the blankets and buries her head into them.

“Five more minutes.” She whines, and Diana slaps her backside.

“No more minutes. Come on.”

“You come on.” Trini mumbles, slapping Diana’s hip. 

“Don’t make me drag you, Trini Prince.”

“You’re the worst.” Diana gasps in mock surprise, and Trini grins up at her.

“The best worst.”

“That’s an oxymoron, babe.” Kimberly says with a chuckle.

“You’re an oxymoron.” Trini grumbles, but she jumps up from the bed and onto Kimberly’s back, hooking her arms around her neck and her legs around her waist before pressing a kiss to her cheek and dropping down. 

“Who’s making breakfast?” Trini asks.

“Not it.”

“Not it!” Kimberly and Diana yell at the same time, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“Guess I am, then.”

“Oh no, you’ll burn it. Never mind, I’ll make it.” Diana says with a sigh, and Trini looks at her in shock.

“Rude!”

Diana makes them eggs sunny side up, and Jason texts them halfway through their breakfast to tell them he’s on his way with Kimberly’s car when Kimberly gets a sudden call from Amanda, which she answers with a frown as Trini and Diana watch her intently.

She hangs up with a sigh after about two minutes before looking up at Trini.

“Do you mind texting Jason and asking him if we can stop by the Hospital before detention? Amanda needs her homework from this week.”

“Is everything okay?” Trini asks.

“I think so…”

Trini frowns, but texts Jason nonetheless, and nods at Kimberly in affirmation when he sends a text back saying it’s okay.

“I’ll be here when you get back.” Diana says with a smile, and Trini grins.

“You’ll probably be cooking for six, not gonna lie.” And Diana rolls her eyes, but grins back before pressing a kiss to Trini’s hair.

“Better start from now then!”

Jason arrives five minutes later with Billy and Zack already in the car, and Kimberly and Trini cuddle together in the back beside Zack, who groans and rolls his eyes.

“I hate being stuck next to the love birds.” He grumbles.

“Shut up, you love it. How’s your mom, by the way?” Trini asks, and Zack smiles softly.

“She’s okay, Trin. Promise.” But there’s a hint of hesitation in his tone that has Trini sighing as she reaches over and grips his hand.

“If you need help-.”

“I know. I’ll tell you.” He murmurs.

They ride to the Hospital in silence, kind of, Zack sings loudly along to the radio and Jason eventually joins in, but as soon as they arrive, Kimberly grips Trini’s hand as Amanda walks outside of the Hospital with a smile and a wave toward their car.

“Use the link?” She whispers, and Trini nods once.

Kimberly jumps out of the car and makes her way toward Amanda, and Trini focuses her attention and finds herself walking beside Kimberly in no time.

“Hey.” Kimberly says softly, and Amanda smiles.

“Hey. Sorry, I know you’ve got detention, I just get bored around the Hospital.”

“Bored enough to wanna do homework? Must be boring.” Kimberly says with a grin, and she unzips her bag and hands over a book full of notes to Amanda, who smiles.

“Thanks, Kimmy. Oh cool, lightning bolt.” She says, running her fingers over the etched lightning bolt on the cover of the book Kimberly’s given her.

And Trini looks closer to see the lightning bolt is colored in with pink, yellow, black, blue and red.

“You always could draw like crazy.” Amanda says, beaming up at Kimberly, and Trini raises an eyebrow at her.

“You can draw?” Kimberly grins at her before shrugging.

"You've gotta draw for me, Kim." Trini says, gripping her hand, and Kimberly simply gives her a knowing smile before turning back to Amanda, who suddenly gasps.

“Oh cool, you colored it with the Ranger colors!” She says with a grin, and Trini feels her heart suddenly race as she looks at Kimberly anxiously.

“Yeah, they’re…they’re pretty cool.” Kimberly says nonchalantly, and Amanda chuckles.

“Yeah, they are. And totally fucking crazy. Going up against those monster things, whatever they were…they’re like, way braver than any of us. They’ve gotta be aliens, you know? No way any human person would be brave enough to do that…except anyone in the Justice League, but like, none of them are normal, you know?” 

Trini looks at Kimberly, who purses her lips in an attempt not to smile as she nods.

“Right…anyway, I gotta go. Detention calls…”

“Yeah…see you later, Kimmy. Thanks again!”

“No problem.” Kimberly begins making her way back to the car, and Trini follows her.

“So I think it’s safe to say Amanda is not our Green Ranger.” She mumbles. Kimberly chuckles and shakes her head.

“Mm, don’t think so.”

Trini returns to her own mind just as Kimberly enters the car, and Trini grips her hand gently.

“See? The Power Rangers are brave and strong and selfless in everyone else’s minds…” Kimberly smiles.

“It would appear that way.” She says, and Trini smiles and presses a kiss to her cheek.

“So, that means you are brave and strong and selfless…and you deserve to be the Pink Power Ranger.” She whispers.

Kimberly sighs, but smiles all the same as she digs into her pocket and pulls out her Power Coin.

“Yeah…maybe you’re right.”

“I’m not maybe right, I am right.”

“Shh…”

The ride to detention is again filled with Jason and Zack singing terribly along to the radio, except this time, Billy, Kimberly and Trini join along for at least one song before they pull up to the parking lot of the school.

“I can’t believe we have to see this place six days out of the week. This is hell on Earth.” Zack grumbles.

“We’ll be graduating soon enough, and it’ll all be over.” Kimberly says, exhaling a deep breath.

“Thank god.” Trini grumbles, but Billy and Jason sigh.

“Yeah, for you guys. All that’s gonna happen for us once we graduate is our parents asking us what the hell we’re doing with our lives.” Jason mutters. 

“Just come and live with me and Diana and tell them you went to college.” Trini says jokingly, and Jason looks at her with wide, eager eyes.

“Can I?” He asks desperately. Trini rolls her eyes as Zack laughs and jumps out of the car, and the others follow suite not long after. 

It’s only when they’re halfway down the steps to detention that Trini even fathoms that she’s forgotten her bag, and she claps a hand to her forehead.

“Shit. Kim, can I have your keys?”

“Why what’s up?”

“I left my bag, I’m an idiot.” Kimberly laughs, but digs into her bag for her keys and pulls them out before handing them to Trini with a smile.

Trini heads back up the stairs, her legs burning from training yesterday as she heads back out into the cloudy day, small raindrops beginning to fall as she dashes over to Kimberly’s car and unlocks it.

She grabs her bag and makes her way back to the school, and stops short when she finds a girl against the wall behind the building that leads to the detention hall, a cigarette between her teeth as she takes a drag and puffs the smoke up into the air, her brown eyes filled with anger, but also defeat as she flips her long, dark brown hair behind her back.

Trini notices the girl has a cut lip and bruised cheek, and she frowns, her steps becoming slower.

The girl looks so familiar…where does Trini know her from? She’s pretty sure she’s never seen this girl before in her life…but something about her seems familiar…

The girl suddenly notices her and smiles lightly.

“Hey.” She says, her voice rough as she takes another drag from her cigarette, and Trini’s frown grows deeper.

“Smoking kills, you know.” She says, and the girl laughs.

“That’s the plan.” She says with a grin. Trini rolls her eyes, and the girl shakes her head.

“Do you know where the detention hall is?”

“Yeah, I’m heading there now. Why?”

“I’ve got detention.” She says blankly, and Trini chuckles under her breath.

“Right. Makes sense.” The girl smiles, takes another drag from her cigarette before throwing it to the ground and stamping on it, and she leans down to pick up her bag before shouldering it and making her way toward Trini.

“What have you got detention for?” She asks.

“Someone wrote mean messages on my friend’s locker door, so I ripped it off the wall. You?” Trini asks. The girl whistles in appreciation.

“Damn, must be an important friend. Uh, I got into a fight yesterday on my first day at this hellhole.”

“Oh yeah, I saw that…kind of.” Trini says with a frown, and the girl laughs.

“Yeah, not my greatest moment. But she called me a ‘native dog’, so…”

“Yeah, Sasha’s a known bitch. I saw her face, at least you got a hit in.” Trini says with a grin, and the girl grins back.

“Yeah, I got a few hooks in before I got pulled away.”

“Good.” 

“Not necessarily, it landed me here on a Saturday.” She says, looking up at the building with a sigh.

“It’s not half bad, don’t worry.” Trini says with a shrug. The girl smiles.

“Thanks.”

They make their way through the hallway, and it doesn’t hit Trini that she doesn’t even know this girl’s name until they come to a stop at the door that leads to the basement where detention is.

“Oh shit, sorry, I’m being rude. My name’s Trini. Trini Prince.” 

And the girl smiles and extends her hand, and Trini takes it with a smile.

“Tommy. Tommy Oliver.”


	16. I'd hate to let you down, so I'll let the waters rise (and drown my dull reflection in the naive expectation in your eyes)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "No Friend" by Paramore. 
> 
> FINALLY!  
> i'm so sorry this update took so long, I've been writing for trimberly week like crazy and I am...so exhausted. LMAO.  
> BUT FINALLY, it's here! I hope you guys like this update, comments are appreciated, and as always, you can scream at me about this chapter or any of my other fics at my tumblr: movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com

“Turn your body to the side-that’s it, now block!” 

Trini feels Jason’s sword make contact with her daggers, feels it reverberate throughout her body as sweat glistens on Jason’s body, a grin on his face before Trini pushes his sword away with her daggers with a grunt before stabbing them forward.

Jason steps back and uses his sword to deflect her daggers, and Trini tightens her grip on them and is about to attack when Diana calls out, and she stops short, turns just as Diana steps forward and taps her on the shoulder.

“Good! You’re getting there.” She says proudly, and Trini stands straight with a sigh.

“I wish I learned more from Helena…” Trini says with a frown as Jason drops his sword and grips his knees with a loud exhale of breath.

“God, that was exhausting.” He groans. Diana chuckles and tucks her finger under Trini’s chin to raise her head.

“I wish Helena was here, too…but you’re doing well without her, little one.” Trini smiles, and Diana looks over at the others, all of them nursing injuries before she claps her hands together.

“One more round!” She yells, and when they all groan loudly, she chuckles and rolls her eyes.

“I’m kidding. Go get cleaned up, all of you. You did great.”

“I’m showering first!” Jason yells, practically running back into the house with sweat flying off his body as Zack whines loudly.

“DUDE!” 

“We have more than one shower, Zack…” Trini says with a sigh, and Zack looks at Billy with wide eyes before they’re both running into the house to get the second shower. 

Kimberly chuckles and makes her way over to Trini, who smiles at her softly.

“Are they aware there’s a third shower in Diana’s room?” She asks, and Diana grins.

“Ah, it’s much funnier watching them fight over it.” Kimberly chuckles before she wraps her arms around Trini, who buries her head into Kimberly’s chest with a groan.

“My body hurts.”

“Yeah, mine too. Is there anything we can do to help our bodies stop hurting so much when we train?” Kimberly asks Diana, and she shrugs.

“Over time, the muscles will develop, but it will always hurt. No pain no gain, as they say.” 

“That saying is the worst saying I’ve ever heard.” Trini grumbles. Diana chuckles, taps Trini on the backside.

“Come on, time for Chinese food.”

“Yes!” Kimberly grins, practically ripping herself away from Trini and dashing into the house.

Trini blinks in shock before she throws her hands up in exasperation.

“Really? You love Chinese food more than me?!”

By the time the food arrives, all the Rangers and Diana are showered and clean from training, and Trini’s eating her orange chicken in silence when Zack suddenly clears his throat and looks up at Diana with a sad smile.

“Hey, so…I know you’ve been pretty much paying for my mother’s medicine-.”

“No, I’m paying you to look after my garden. The roses look beautiful.” Diana says with a smile, and Zack chuckles, runs a hand through his hair.

“Right…but, I just thought I should let you know that uh…you don’t need to do that anymore.” Zack says in a low voice, and Trini can practically hear him attempting to keep his tears at bay as she touches the link with her mind to feel nothing but sadness and pain swirling inside Zack.

“Zack…” Kimberly and Jason both say at the same time, and Billy, who’s sitting next to him, claps his shoulder with a frown on his face.

“What happened, man?” Billy asks softly. Zack sighs, smiles up at the other Rangers as best he can.

“Mom’s not getting any better, and uh…we spoke for a long time last night, fought a lot, too…she doesn’t want to take the medication anymore.” 

“What?” Trini chokes out. Zack sighs, nods once as he bites down on his lip to stop his tears from falling.

“Trust me, I screamed and yelled and begged her to change her mind, but…the doctor told her the medication is just delaying the inevitable, it’s not fixing her, and…she’s in so much pain, all the time…she’s held on for so long now, she hasn’t got anything left in her…” Zack chokes on a sob, and Diana stands and makes her way across the table toward him, enveloping him in a hug as Zack finally lets go and begins sobbing into her shoulder.

“Shh…I’ve got you.” Diana whispers, rubbing his back gently.

“She’s…fuck, the doctor said she’s got a month, maybe two…” Zack says hoarsely, and Trini grips Kimberly’s hand tightly, feels her vision blur as tears fall down her cheeks, and Kimberly squeezes her hand in reassurance. 

“We’ve got your back, man. And your mom’s.” Jason says softly.

“Whatever you need, Zack…I don’t care about money, you don’t hesitate to call me, okay?” Diana says, pulling away from Zack and cradling his face in her hands. Zack nods, wipes his tears away before Diana sighs and presses a kiss to his forehead.

“Do you want to go be with her?” Zack nods again, and Diana smiles.

“Come, I’ll take some food for you to give her as well. Do you want me to come with you? Meet your mother and talk with her?” Zack smiles but shakes his head.

“No, it’s…it’s okay. I’ve gotta respect her wishes, no matter how hard or painful it is…”

Diana smiles sadly, runs a hand through his hair.

“You’ve grown so much, Zack. I’m proud of you.” Zack smiles, sniffs as he wipes his tears away.

“Thanks, Diana.” 

Zack leaves not long after, carrying two bags of food for his mother as Jason and Billy leave with him.

“I’ll bring your car back and walk home, Kim.” Jason says, and Kimberly nods, throws him her car keys before hugging Zack tightly.

“We’re a text message away. Or a visit through the link away.” She says softly, and Zack chuckles.

“Nuh uh, I’m not visiting you two through the link anymore. Who knows what I might run into?” 

“We power down our Coins, thank you!” Kimberly says, slapping his shoulder in mock anger, and Zack grins.

“Yeah, yeah…” He teases. Kimberly glares at him, but grins all the same and presses a kiss to his cheek.

As soon as they’re gone, Trini sighs and looks at Diana, who smiles sadly at her.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Trini asks.

“I don’t know anything about her condition…or illness for that matter. Does he know what her sickness is?” Diana asks.

“Something to do with her immune system.” Kimberly murmurs, walking over to Trini and wrapping her in a gentle hug.

Trini collapses against her, emotionally and physically spent as she curls up against her chest, and Kimberly rests her chin on top of her head with a sigh.

“We’ve gotta be there for him. Now more than ever.” She whispers, and Trini grips the back of her shirt, nods against her before pressing a kiss to her collarbone.

“We will be.” 

-

The second they enter the ship the next day, Trini knows something is wrong.

Alpha 5 is practically buzzing with excitement as he makes his way over to them, and Zordon is blinking up on the wall as they enter the morphing grid area, all of them looking at Zordon and Alpha 5 with confusion.

“Alpha, what is it?” Jason asks.

“The Green coin is gone!” He cheers, his excitement evident.

Trini feels her heart sink, and she turns to look at Kimberly, who looks back at her with wide eyes filled with shock.

“Wait, it’s gone? What…what does that mean?” Jason asks, looking up at Zordon.

“It means that the Green Coin has found a Ranger to take up the mantle. Has found someone worthy of joining the team.” 

“Okay…can you maybe tell us who it is?” Zack says with a frown, and Alpha 5 shakes his head.

“We have no idea who the Coin has gone to, only that it’s gone to someone.” 

“So now, you have a task ahead of you, Rangers.” Zordon says, and Billy claps his hands with excitement as he looks at the others with a grin.

“We’ve gotta find the Green Ranger!” He says, and Trini hesitates.

“Do…do we have to?” She asks softly.

Jason turns to look at her in shock.

“What do you mean, Trin?” He asks, and Trini sighs, shakes her head.

“Forget it-.”

“No, hey, you can talk to us, crazy girl. What’s going on?” Zack asks gently, and Trini hesitates, looks at Kimberly, who sighs and grips her hand.

“Tell them.” She says with an encouraging smile.

“What’s on your mind, Trini?” Zordon asks gently.

“I just…I can’t help but get scared thinking about a Green Ranger…what if they turn out to be exactly like Rita?” She whispers, looking up at Zordon, and Jason, Zack and Billy look at each other before they also look up at Zordon questioningly.

And Zordon sighs as he looks at each of the Rangers.

“I cannot guarantee that whoever the next Green Ranger is won’t betray you. But I can’t guarantee that any of you won’t betray us, either.” 

“What? That’s crazy, we’re a team!” Zack says angrily, and Jason chuckles.

“That’s what he means. Rita was part of his team, and he probably never thought in a million years that she would betray them…just like I never in a million years would think any of you would betray us…”

“So you’re saying, be cautious but…welcoming?” Billy says with a frown, and Zordon nods.

“Cautious but welcoming. Exactly, Billy.” 

Trini frowns at that, but Kimberly squeezes her hand as she nods once and looks up at Zordon.

“What do we do once we find this person?”

“Bring them here. I’ll talk to them about their duties as a Power Ranger, as I did with all of you.”

“You’re just expecting this person to be okay with being a Power Ranger?” Jason says with a scoff.

“Yeah, we weren’t exactly welcoming of the idea.” Kimberly says with a sigh.

“That was before the Power Rangers saved Angel Grove though. Twice.” Billy pipes up.

“Still…we can’t guarantee they’ll be happy about this.” Zack murmurs.

Trini stays quiet, simply bites her lip and watches as Zordon sighs and Alpha throws his hands up in exasperation.

“Regardless, their destiny is part of yours now. You eventually grew to understand that, and I have no doubt that the new Green Ranger will as well.” 

Trini sighs, doesn’t say anything as Jason claps his hands together and looks at the others.

“So I guess that means we’ve gotta find ourselves our Green Ranger.”

“I wonder who it is…”

“I might have an idea.” Kimberly says with a frown.

“Who? Amanda?” Jason asks. Kimberly nods once.

“Maybe. I just don’t know how I’m supposed to like, approach her about it. I can’t just be like ‘hey, how’s your Dad? By the way, have you seen a Green Coin pop up in your room?’ Doesn’t seem smart…”

“You’ll figure it out, Kimmy. So, are we training or what? I’ve gotta get home.” Zack says with a frown, and that pulls Trini straight out of her thoughts about the Green Ranger as she look at Zack sadly.

“How’s she doing?” Zack hesitates before he simply shakes his head with a sigh, and Trini bites down on her bottom lip before she rushes toward him and wraps him in a warm hug.

“Zack, screw training, go be with her-.”

“No, she’s…she’s okay. Don’t stress, crazy girl. Now come on, let’s go to the Pit.” 

Training is short that day, Zack too distracted to work properly, and Jason sends him home with a shake of his head and a small smile as he claps Zack’s shoulder.

“Go home. And hug her for us.”

Zack sprints off immediately, lifting his bag onto his shoulder as he does, and Jason and Billy begin making their way out of the Pit. Trini sighs, about to follow them before  
Kimberly walks up to her with a smile and presses a kiss to her temple.

“You were unusually quiet during our talk with Zordon.” She murmurs against her skin.

“Sorry.” Trini grumbles, and Kimberly sighs, pulls back and cradles her face gently.

“Baby, talk to me. Please?” She asks softly, and Trini hesitates before she leans up and presses a kiss to the corner of Kimberly’s mouth.

“I don’t want you to get hurt. And if this Green Ranger betrays us…” 

“Babe, no, no, shh, that’s not gonna happen…” Kimberly coos softly, and Trini can’t help the tears that form in her eyes, can’t help the fear that grips her as Kimberly tucks her finger under Trini’s chin to lift her head up. 

“You don’t know that…” Trini breathes, and Kimberly hesitates, her eyes searching Trini’s face before she sighs.

“You’re right, I don’t.” She runs her fingers through Trini’s hair, and Kimberly leans forward and presses a kiss between her eyes.

“I should be more sensitive…after everything you went through with Rita, I’m sorry-.”

“No, it’s okay-.”

“No, it’s not. You went through so much…I understand your hesitation babe, I do. We’ve just…we’ve just gotta watch each other’s backs, alright?” 

Trini nods, and Kimberly smiles, lifts her chin up to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

“I’ve got your back, okay?” She whispers against her lips. Trini nods again.

“I’ve got yours.” She whispers back. 

They make their way out of the Pit hand in hand, and Kimberly sighs as soon as they reach the Cliff top, shaking water out of her eyes before she pulls Trini into a deep kiss.

“I gotta head home tonight, but I’ll come to yours later, okay?” She breathes against her lips, resting her forehead against Trini’s, and she nods.

“Okay.” 

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” 

As soon as Trini walks through the front doors of her home, Diana makes her way to the entrance with a frown on her face, and Trini groans and walks straight into her arms, hugging her tightly as Diana chuckles and presses a kiss to her hair.

“What is it, little one?” She whispers. Trini sighs and pulls back, looks up at her mother in hesitation.

“The Green Power Coin’s gone.” Diana’s eyes widen as she blinks.

“Does that mean-?”

“That the Coin’s found someone? Yeah…and we don’t know who it is. So now we’ve gotta pretty much roam through Angel Grove and find the new Ranger.” 

“Hmm…” Diana frowns, and Trini sighs again.

“What if the new Ranger isn’t compatible with us? What if they betray us like the last Green Ranger did? There’s just so much that could go wrong, but all Jason and the others feel is excited, they want a new Ranger, and all I can think about is the bad things…I don’t know why, but I just can’t stop worrying that potential betrayal and being hurt, we’ve been through so much already-.”

“Shh, shh, come here…” Diana hugs her tightly, and Trini inhales sharply, exhales shakily as she buries her head in Diana’s chest.

“Trini, you can’t predict the future. And you can’t predict if this new Ranger is going to be someone you can trust. But once upon a time, you couldn’t trust Jason and Zack and  
Billy and Kimberly either, and now look at all of you. You’re as close as family. Are a family…”

Trini simply grunts, and Diana chuckles and runs her fingers through her hair.

“Trini…”

“Did you trust Bruce straight away?” She grumbles, looking up at Diana, and she smiles lightly.

“No. I didn’t trust any of them. The trust developed over time. And we’ve brought new people into the League as well over the years…have developed trust with them as well. These things take time, Trini.”

“I know. I know, I’m being stupid…”

“You’re not being stupid, you’re being cautious. It’s understandable after everything you’ve been through.” Diana murmurs, and Trini sighs, nods once before looking up at her.

“I guess I’m just worried that once whoever has the Green Coin might be influenced by Rita…I don’t know.” Diana clenches her jaw, swallows hard as she shakes her head.

“She’s dead, Trini. I made sure of that.” She says stonily, and Trini purses her lips.

“I know.” She says simply. Diana clenches her jaw again, and Trini hugs her once more, gripping her tightly as an unexplainable sadness grips her.

“Come on, mom, come back, I’m okay…” She says softly, and Diana is frozen against her before she lets out a deep exhale and hugs Trini once more, holding her close before resting her chin on top of her head.

“I know…I know.” She whispers. Trini pulls back with a warm smile, and Diana finally relaxes, smiles as she brushes Trini’s cheek with her fingers.

“Come…I made you paella.” 

Trini and Diana eat dinner together before Diana helps Trini with her homework, and they end up cuddled on the couch watching movies when there’s a knock at the front door.

Diana’s the one to jump up and answer it, and she comes back and sits down beside Trini with a smile.

“Kim’s here.” Trini turns, looks up to see Kimberly entering the living room, and she grins and curls closer to Diana as Kimberly sits down beside her.

“What are we watching?” She asks softly.

“Some random movie from the 90’s, how was home?” Trini asks, and Kimberly’s smile falters as she sighs loudly.

“Well…could’ve gone better.” Trini frowns.

“What happened?”

“Mom asked me if I could maybe try spending more time at home. I asked her if she was okay with me dating you yet, and when she didn’t answer, I said ‘then I’d still rather be somewhere where I’m accepted and loved for who I am’. She didn’t like that answer.” 

“Shit.” Trini grips her hand, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“It’s okay. But uh…well…”

“What?” Kimberly looks past Trini at Diana, who is watching the movie intently before she feels two pairs of eyes on her and she turns slowly, looking between Kimberly and Trini with wide eyes.

“What? Is there something on my face?” She asks frantically, lifting a hand to wipe her cheek, and Trini’s heart warms at her innocence before Kimberly sighs behind her.

“My parents want to meet you.” She murmurs.

Diana freezes.

“Oh.” Is all she says.

“Are you doing anything on Thursday?” Kimberly asks, and Diana looks at Trini before she smiles.

“No. If you want, they can come here and we can have dinner.” Kimberly smiles widely, and Trini can feel her excitement through the bond.

“That would be amazing.” 

“Of course. Whatever you want, sweetheart.” Trini hesitates, and Kimberly squeezes her hand tightly.

“Are you okay with is?” She asks, and Trini inhales sharply before nodding.

“Yeah. I mean I’m freaking out, but Diana’s amazing, so I’m sure they’ll love her.”

“Thank you, little one. No pressure.” Diana mutters, and Trini grins at her.

“They’ll love you. I’m sure of it.” Kimberly says, and Diana smiles.

“Then tell them they’re welcome to come over for dinner whenever they’d like. I’m more than happy to talk to them about whatever they’re worried about.” 

“Thank you.” Kimberly says, and Diana chuckles before she stands and presses a kiss to both their temples.

“You’re welcome. Now, who wants popcorn?”

-

“So…you gonna ask her?”

Kimberly squeezes Trini’s hand as she exhales shakily, her eyes on Amanda down the hallway at her locker grabbing her books as she nods slowly.

“Yeah…but I can’t be obvious. How do I do that?”

“I…honestly have no idea.” Trini says with a chuckle, and Kimberly glares at her.

“You’re such a big help.” She says sarcastically. 

“Just…I don’t know, ask her if anything weird has happened recently.”

“Yeah, like developing superpowers…” Kimberly mutters, but she cranes her neck before she nods to herself.

“You’ve got this.” Trini says, squeezing her shoulder, and Kimberly sighs.

“I’ll tell you how it goes.”

“You sure you don’t want me to stay with you?” 

“No, I’ve got it. If anything happens, I’ll contact you through the link.”

“Okay, babe.” Kimberly smiles, wishes she could kiss Trini, but they’re surrounded by their fellow peers and Kimberly’s pretty sure neither of them are quite ready to come out to the rest of the school yet.

Kimberly relinquishes her hold on Trini and begins making her way to Amanda, her heart pounding against her chest and her palms growing sweaty the closer she gets.

What if Amanda’s the Green Ranger?

“Amanda?” She comes to a stop in front of her ex-best friend, and Amanda turns to look at her, her brow furrowed before her eyes widen and she smiles warmly.

“Hey, Kimmy.” She says, and Kimberly smiles.

“How’s your dad?” Kimberly asks, and Amanda’s smile grows wider as she nods.

“Yeah, good! I mean, he still feels pretty weak, but he’s getting stronger every day. He should be out of the hospital in the next few days.”

“That’s good.” Kimberly says, and Amanda nods excitedly.

“Yeah! Can’t wait for him to be home again.” 

“I’m glad…” Amanda’s smile falters and she raises an eyebrow at her.

“Everything okay, Kimmy?” She asks softly, and Kimberly hesitates, bites down on her lower lip before she finally decides to bite the bullet.

“Yeah, everything’s fine, I just…is everything okay with you?” She asks.

Amanda frowns.

“Um…what do you mean?” She asks with a chuckle, and Kimberly sighs.

“I don’t know, I just…has anything strange happened lately?” Amanda frowns as she pulls her books out of her locker.

“Hmm, you mean besides a second alien attack in a matter of months and my dad almost dying?” She deadpans, and Kimberly winces.

“Uh…” Amanda laughs softly.

“Relax. I mean, no? Nothing weird…why?” Amanda asks, and Kimberly feels the tension in her body suddenly leave her all at once as she exhales a shaky breath of relief and smiles.

“So you haven’t felt weird, or had anything strange happen?” Amanda’s eyes widen, and Kimberly can see the panic in them as she closes her locker.

“No, Kim, you’re scaring me, what’s going on?” She asks frantically, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“No, no, nothing, nothing’s wrong, I promise. Just wondering.”

“Why? Have you been feeling weird?” Amanda asks. Kimberly shakes her head again.

“No, I’m good! I promise. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” 

“Oh…okay.” Amanda says with a frown, and Kimberly smiles and squeezes her shoulder.

“I’m glad your dad’s okay.” 

“Thanks.” Amanda smiles, and Kimberly turns to make her way back to her own locker, but finds herself bumping into someone.

“Oh, shit! Sorry!” Kimberly grips the person to steady herself, and when she pulls back, she realizes it’s the new girl who she saw in detention.

“Sorry.” She mumbles, and Kimberly smiles as she lets go of her.

“Tammy, right?” The girl winces.

“Tommy.” She says, and Kimberly feels her cheeks flush.

“Right. Sorry. I’m Kimberly.” She extends a hand, and Tommy takes it, giving her a quick shake before she turns away quickly, almost as if she’s desperate to get away from her.

“Hey, are you okay?” Kimberly asks with a frown.

Tommy pauses, lets out a deep breath and looks up at the ceiling before she turns to look at Kimberly.

Her brown eyes are filled with a million different emotions, but Kimberly can almost read them all.

Fear. Panic. Terror. Uncertainty.

She looks around quickly before she leans in close to Kimberly.

“I overheard what you said to Amanda.” She whispers.

Kimberly frowns.

“And?” She says in confusion, and Tommy bites down on her lip in hesitation.

“I…I think something weird is happening to me.” 

Kimberly’s heart stops.

“How…how weird?” She breathes.

Tommy takes a deep breath in, and Kimberly watches as she reaches into her pocket.

And when she pulls out the Green Power Coin, Kimberly inhales sharply, feels her heart restart and sink before it pounds against her chest painfully.

“Oh my god…”

“Last night was…crazy.” Tommy breathes.

“What happened?” Kimberly says firmly.

“I…I was out getting food for my mom and dad, and I saw this girl getting attacked in an alleyway. I ran over to help her, and I told her to run as soon as the guy turned his attention to me. She did, but the guy…he pulled out a knife. I tried to fight him, but he got me and…Kimberly, the last thing I remember is blood being everywhere before I was passing out, and when I woke up, I was in my room at home. I was fine, nothing was wrong with me, it’s like I magically healed and teleported overnight. And right next to me on my bed was this.” Tommy says, holding up the Power Coin.

“I don’t know what this thing is, but I haven’t been able to get rid of it. I take a single step away from it and it just…it’s like it teleports into my pocket. Look, I know this sounds insane-.”

“It doesn’t.” Kimberly says. Tommy looks at her with wide eyes, and Kimberly feels her heart break for the girl when tears begin to form.

“What’s happening to me?” She whispers.

Kimberly watches her for a few moments.

Then she reaches into her pocket and pulls out her own Power Coin.

Tommy’s eyes move to it, and understanding and relief sweep through her as she lets out a whimper before her tears fall down her face.

“You too?” She chokes out, and Kimberly smiles softly.

“It’s not something to be afraid of, I promise.”

“What? I don’t understand-.” The bell ringing loudly echoes around them, and Kimberly groans.

“I’ll explain, Tommy. I…shit, I have to get to class, but look, I don’t want you to freak out, and I don’t want you to be scared. Can you…can you meet me after school? Right here, by your locker?”

“Kimberly-.”

“Tommy, I swear, it’s nothing bad. Just keep that Coin on you and I swear I’ll explain everything after school. Meet me here. Please?” 

Tommy hesitates before she takes a deep breath in and nods.

“Alright.” Kimberly smiles, squeezes her shoulder sympathetically before she makes her way to English, her mind reeling.

Tommy Oliver. The new girl.

She’s the Green Power Ranger. 

Kimberly knows nothing about the girl, only knows that she fought Sasha Browning on her first day here and gave her a black eye, and that Trini was talking with her before detention last Saturday, but that’s it.

Kimberly has no idea if she’s a good person, but judging by the fact that she saved a girl who was almost attacked last night, Kimberly has to think she must be.

Brave and selfless…just like Zordon said.

So, maybe she does have all the qualities of a Power Ranger.

And Trini seems to already like her.

But will Jason? Or Billy and Zack?

Will she?

Kimberly frowns, just enters English and apologizes to Mr. Chung for being late before she takes her seat, and she bites back a yelp when she looks beside her to see Trini sitting in the empty seat beside her.

“Hey.” She says softly, and Kimberly looks around the room before she mutters under her breath.

“Hey.”

“How’d it go?” Trini asks. Kimberly blinks in confusion and Trini chuckles.

“Amanda?”

“Oh!” Kimberly hesitates, but then she lets out a shaky breath and nods once.

“Good. She’s not the Green Ranger.” She murmurs. Trini lets out a sigh of relief.

“Good, because I don’t think I could handle Amanda being the Green Ranger, she’s-.”

“It’s Tommy Oliver.” Kimberly says firmly under her breath.

Trini stops short.

“What? Tommy Oliver’s what?”

“She’s the Green Ranger, Trini.” She whispers softly. 

Trini doesn’t reply. She’s blinking rapidly, and Kimberly’s pretty sure she’s in shock as she sighs and whispers out of the corner of her mouth.

“I told her to meet me by her locker after school. Don’t tell the others, I don’t want to overwhelm her.”

Trini swallows thickly and nods once, and then she disappears, and Kimberly frowns, is about to visit her with the link when the sound of her name causes her to jump in shock.

“Kimberly, I’d appreciate it if you paid attention.” Mr. Chung chastises, and Kimberly flushes as the rest of the class laughs at her embarrassment. 

“Sorry, Mr. Chung.” 

The last period passes in a blur, and as soon as English is over, Kimberly jumps out of her seat and dashes into the hallway only to find Trini waiting for her outside her classroom.

“Trin-.”

“You’re sure it’s Tommy?” She asks firmly, and Kimberly sighs and shoulders her bag.

“She pulled the Green Power Coin out of her pocket right in front of me. It’s her, Trini.”

Trini frowns, and Kimberly smiles.

“She seems nice, Trini. You know her better than we do anyway-.”

“I spoke with her for five minutes. And she was smoking outside the school.” Trini grumbles, and Kimberly chuckles.

“So she’s a James Dean wannabe. Point is, she told me that last night she saved a girl from getting attacked and got stabbed in the process. When she woke up, she was home in her room, completely fine, and the Coin was with her. Clearly the Coin saw something brave and selfless in her.” Trini takes everything Kimberly says in, and she’s frowning again, so Kimberly taps her forehead with a smile.

“No pouting.”

“I’m not pouting.” Trini grumbles, and Kimberly grins and presses a quick kiss to her cheek.

“Come on. She’s probably freaking out.”

“Are you sure I should come with you?” 

“Yeah. But let’s leave it at just you. She’ll probably click onto us being Power Rangers if we all show up.” 

They make their way down the hallway, and as soon as Kimberly rounds the corner, she sees Tommy at her locker, looking around frantically before her eyes land on Kimberly.

Her whole body tenses, and Kimberly exchanges a glance with Trini before she takes a deep breath and makes her way over to her.

“Hey.”

“Hey…” Tommy looks at Trini with wide eyes, and Kimberly smiles.

“Don’t worry. She’s part of it.”

“Part of it?” Tommy asks. Trini comes to a stop right in front of her.

“Show me.” Trini asks firmly. Tommy hesitates, but reaches into her pocket and pulls out the Green Power Coin from her pocket. Trini’s looking at it, and Kimberly feels a mixture of fear and anger flood her, knows Trini’s thinking about Rita before she closes her eyes and sighs deeply.

“Okay.” She breathes. Trini opens her eyes, reaches into her pocket and pulls out her own Power Coin, and Tommy looks between them both of them, eyes moving back and forth rapidly before she whimpers.

“What the fuck is going on?” She chokes out.

“Don’t be scared, okay, Tommy? We can explain everything, I swear. We probably shouldn’t do it here, though-.”

“Kim! Trini! You guys coming?” Kimberly and Trini turn as Jason shouts out to them, Billy and Zack grinning widely at them, and Kimberly hesitates, turns back to Tommy, who looks at her with wide eyes.

“I…what-.”

“Come with us.” Trini says simply. Tommy steps back, shakes her head.

“I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me what’s going on.” Tommy says through gritted teeth.

“Tommy, you can trust us-.”

“Oh, really? You guys aren’t telling me what’s going on, I pretty much died last night and found myself alive and well in my bed this morning with this thing.” She holds up the Coin, and Kimberly feels shock pound through the bond as she turns to see Jason, Billy and Zack looking at Tommy with the Green Power Coin in her hands with wide eyes.

“Dude…” Zack says, and all three boys are running over as Kimberly groans.

“Guys, wait-.”

“Dude, she’s-.” Zack starts, but Trini wallops him in the gut and he groans.

“Shut it!” Trini growls.

“What is going on?!” Tommy yells, and Jason comes to a stop in front of her with a grin.

“Hey! I’m Jason!” He says, holding out his hand, and Tommy glares at him.

“I. Don’t. Care. If you don’t explain to me what’s happening right now-.”

“Oh! You’re a Power Ranger.” Billy says with a grin.

Kimberly freezes.

Trini groans, looks at Billy in exasperation.

“Real smooth, Billy.” She says weakly. Billy blinks.

“What? What-oh, I maybe should’ve waited for Jason to tell her, right? Because he’s the leader?” Billy says innocently.

Kimberly looks at Tommy.

Tommy who looks like she’s five seconds away from vomiting as she swallows thickly and looks between the five of them with wide eyes.

“What?” She squeaks out. 

“Tommy, I know that’s a scary thought, but-.”

“I…I have to go.” Tommy grips her bag and makes her way down the hallway, and Kimberly reaches out to grip her wrist.

“Tommy, wait!”

“I can’t do this right now, I have to…I have to go.” Tommy growls, ripping her hand out of Kimberly’s grip, and Kimberly has no choice but to watch helplessly as Tommy power walks away before she breaks into a run, bursting through the front doors without a second glance.

“Well that could have gone better.” Zack mutters.

“Yeah, a lot better.” Kimberly sighs.

_Shit._

-

“So she just ran?”

Trini sighs as Kimberly rubs her thumb over the back of her hand as she nods.

“Yeah. Can you blame her? We just told her she’s a Power Ranger, it’s a lot to take in.” Kimberly says weakly.

Diana sighs.

“You have to talk to her tomorrow.”

“I know. We will.” Jason says firmly. Diana looks between the four of them, Jason, Billy, Kimberly and Trini. Zack had gone home straight after school to look after his mother, but he’s with them now, visiting them through the link, so Diana can’t see him.

“What impression did you get off her?”

“That she’s shit scared.” Zack mutters. Trini rolls her eyes.

“She’s scared. But she seems…” Trini trails off, and Kimberly sighs.

“She seems nice.” She finishes. Trini sighs, and Diana watches her with a raised eyebrow before she looks at Kimberly with wide eyes.

“Oh god, the dinner tomorrow.” She says, and Kimberly groans and claps a hand to her forehead.

“Shit, I forgot about that.”

“You have to reschedule until we figure this out, we can’t be stuck with parents who don’t know we’re Power Rangers when we might be needed in a moment’s notice.” Jason says firmly.

“I know, I know…give me a second. What do I tell them?” Kimberly asks as she jumps up and grabs her phone out of her pocket, and Diana sighs.

“Tell them something came up on my end. A business deal in Los Angeles. I had to leave urgently.” Kimberly nods once, leaves the room, and Trini finds herself following her with the link into the kitchen as Kimberly watches her with a raised eyebrow.

“I can handle a phone conversation with my parents, Trini.”

“I know.” She says with a shrug, and Kimberly smiles softly and grips her hand as her mother answers the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey, mom, it’s me.”

“Hi honey. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. But um, you know how we had dinner plans with Trini’s mom tomorrow? I’m at Trini’s house and her mom just got called in for a business deal in L.A. She’s leaving tonight, so she won’t be here tomorrow. Is it okay if we reschedule?”

Kimberly’s mother is silent for a few moments, but Trini can hear her sigh of frustration before she answers.

“Kimberly, you know your father has unpredictable hours, Thursday is his only day off-.”

“I know mom, but Trini’s mom has unpredictable hours as well.”

“What does she even do for a living-?”

“Mom, you can ask her that when we have dinner-.”

“If we ever have dinner.” Trini sighs as Kimberly’s expression turns stony.

“She’s trying to provide for her only daughter, can you maybe not be so be like this right now?” 

Her mother sighs again.

“Alright. But she shouldn’t tell us she’ll be available all week when she isn’t.”

“She just got the call-ugh, whatever. I’ll be home soon.” Kimberly hangs up without saying goodbye, and she looks at Trini angrily before she’s walking back into the living room, and Trini severs the link just as she enters it.

“Unbelievable!” She growls, flopping down onto the couch beside Trini.

“What happened?” Diana asks with wide eyes.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” Trini grumbles, and Kimberly sighs, buries her head into Trini’s neck as Trini runs her fingers through her hair.

“It’s not a big deal, babe…” She whispers.

Kimberly simply grunts, and Trini chuckles and presses a kiss to her temple. 

“So…about Tommy.” Jason says, and Diana looks up at him.

“The only thing you can do is be patient. She’s scared, understandably. She doesn’t understand, you need to explain to her without getting frustrated.” 

“Right…but what if she betrays us?” Trini says. Diana raises an eyebrow.

“Betrays you how?”

“I don’t know, just betrays us! Does a Rita…you know, history repeating itself.” Trini grumbles.

“Babe…” Kimberly squeezes her hand, and Trini sighs.

“I’m sorry. I’m trying really hard to not be like this-.”

“No, we get it, Trin. After everything Rita did to you, to me, to us…it’s hard not to be apprehensive.” Billy says slowly. 

“We’ll keep an eye on her. And we’ll keep an eye on each other as well. We’re a team, a unit. We have each other’s backs no matter what. But that also means we’ve gotta have Tommy’s as well. She’s part of this team now.” Jason says firmly. Zack claps his shoulder.

“Well said, oh fearless leader.” 

“That’s the best thing you can do. When we get a new member in the League, we always make them feel welcome, but we remain cautious behind the scenes as well. Just keep an eye on her, but make her feel welcome. Regardless of your fears or your wariness, she is a part of your team now.” Diana says. 

“Thanks, Diana. For everything.” Jason says with a smile, and Diana nods once.

“Of course.” 

Zack eventually severs the link and Kimberly heads home, taking Billy and Jason with her to drop them off home, and Trini lays down on the couch with a groan.

Diana hovers above her with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“Stressed?”

Trini grunts.

“Tired?”

“Everything.” Trini says grumpily, and Diana laughs before she begins tickling Trini’s ribs.

“AH, no, WAIT!” Trini tries to shove her off with a gasp, and Diana sits down on the couch and pulls her onto her lap, hugging her tightly and making kissy faces as Trini laughs and shoves her away.

“Ugh, you’re the worst!” 

“The best!” Diana yells, tickling her again, and Trini gasps for air as tears of mirth well in her eyes.

“Okay, the best!” She gasps out, and Diana laughs, grips her face and squishes her cheeks before kissing them as Trini grumbles and attempts to push her away again.

“Moooom!” She whines, and Diana chuckles.

“I love you, little one.” She says fondly, and Trini smiles despite herself, but rolls her eyes anyway.

“I love you, too.” Diana presses a kiss to her temple before relinquishing her hold on her with a grin before she runs her fingers through her hair, watching her intently.

“Don’t be too worried about Tommy, Trini. She’ll come around.”

“We don’t know anything about her, mom.” Trini mumbles.

“Then take the time to know her. Treat her as a person before you treat her as a Power Ranger.” Diana says softly. 

And Trini sighs and nods once before curling up against her mother, resting her head on her shoulder.

“I know…we will.”

-

Trini has no idea what to expect when she gets to school the next day.

But it’s definitely not Tommy waiting for her at her locker, bags under her eyes and her eyes themselves bloodshot as she watches Trini approach with wide eyes.

“Tommy…” Trini stops short in front of her, and Tommy looks around them quickly before leaning in close to her.

“You’re a Power Ranger?” She whispers. Trini smiles and nods once.

“Yeah, I am. And so are you.” Tommy winces at that, and Trini sighs.

“I know this is a lot to take in-.”

“Yeah!” Tommy scoffs, running a shaky hand through her hair. 

“We don’t expect you to have an answer straight away.”

“An answer?” Trini frowns, and Tommy exhales shakily.

“This is fucking insane.” She whispers. Trini sighs again.

“I know. Look just…meet up with us at lunch, okay? And maybe don’t run away this time. Let us explain.” Tommy hesitates, but nods once after a moment, and Trini simply smiles at her before Tommy leaves, continuing down the hallway as Trini hears a shout behind her.

She turns to see the others walking up to her, all of them watching Tommy’s retreating figure with a frown.

“What did she say?”

“What do you think she said? She’s freaking out.” Trini says in a low voice. Kimberly sighs.

“Did you explain everything to her?” Trini shakes her head.

“I told her to meet us at the lunch break.” Jason nods once, grips Trini’s shoulder tightly.

“Good idea. Hopefully we can convince her to come with us to the ship. Zordon might be able to help her answer a few questions…and also help make it seem more real.” 

“Right.” Billy says with a nod, and Zack sighs.

“Yeah, but let’s be honest, Zordon’s not great at the whole inspiring speech thing. What motivated us into becoming Rangers was…well…”

“Rita attacking Trini.” Kimberly hisses. Trini’s heart pounds against her chest and she grips Kimberly’s hand tightly.

“I’m okay.” Is all she says.

The bell rings, and they all sigh before Trini and Kimberly head to biology, their hands still intertwined until they reach the classroom. 

As soon as the lunch break comes around, Trini is dashing toward the cafeteria, and she arrives at the same time as Kimberly, Jason, Zack and Billy, all of them immediately drifting toward each other like magnets as they quickly fill their trays with food before heading to their table in the corner.

“Can you see her?” Jason asks the others, looking around the cafeteria wildly, and Trini sighs.

“Not yet.”

“Maybe she-oh, there!” Billy grins and stands, waving to the front of the cafeteria, and Jason chuckles and tugs on his shirt to pull him down as Trini looks in the direction he was waving.

Tommy looks at them with a weak smile before she makes her way over to them, and Kimberly shifts over, moves closer to Trini until she’s almost sitting in her lap as Tommy sits down beside her with a sigh.

“Okay.” She says simply, and then she’s reaching into her pocket, leaning back in her seat and pulling out her Power Coin, but Kimberly grips her wrist.

“Uh, don’t do that. Last time we did that, a lot of stuff melted.” Kimberly says with a chuckle, and Tommy’s eyes widen as she swallows loudly and nods once, shoving her Power Coin back into her pocket.

“Explain.” She says simply.

Jason sighs, looks at the others and waits for each of them to nod before he looks at Tommy.

“We’re the Power Rangers.” He says simply. Trini rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, I got that.” Tommy says, and Trini sighs as Jason nods.

“Right. Look, we know you’re freaking out-.”

“Look, I just want to know why? Why did you guys choose me?” Tommy says slowly, and Trini blinks in confusion before she shakes her head.

“What? No, we didn’t choose you. The Power Coin did.”

“What? This thing?” Tommy says, pointing down to her pocket, and Jason nods.

“The Power Coins choose the Rangers.” He says.

“So…all of you were chosen?” Tommy asks, and Zack grins.

“Kind of. Billy caused an explosion on the cliff side in the mines and exposed the Coins. We picked them up, and then we were superheroes. The rest is history, as they say.”

Tommy looks at them all in shock, and Jason sighs.

“Yeah, that’s…pretty much what happened.”

“But what are Power Rangers? What are these Coins? I just…I’m so confused.” Tommy breathes, and Jason nods.

“I know, I know. Look, we can’t explain this here, but if you’ll meet us after school, we’ll take you to the ship, and we-.”

“I’m sorry, wait a moment. The ship? What ship?” Tommy says, her eyes widening as she looks between all of them, and Kimberly wraps her fingers around Tommy’s wrist lightly.

“The Power Rangers, the original Power Rangers, anyway…they weren’t from around here.” She says in a low voice. Tommy looks at her with wide eyes.

“They were…were aliens?” She whispers. Kimberly hesitates, and Trini’s the one to nod with a sigh.

“Yeah. Look, like I said, we can’t explain it. You just have to trust us on this. We’re not gonna hurt you, Tommy. Whether we like it or not, the Green Coin chose you, which makes you a Power Ranger. And the only way you’re gonna get answers is if you come with us to the ship after school. I swear all your answers are there. Just…don’t be afraid of us. Or this. Being a Power Ranger isn’t so bad.”

Tommy listens to her intently, and Trini’s surprised to see a hint of anger in her eyes as she scoffs.

“Yeah, I’m sure being a Power Ranger isn’t so bad when you aren’t breaking everything you touch because you suddenly have super strength, or when you’re not putting your life on the line to fight a bunch of weird rock creatures, or whatever those things were. I’m sure being a Power Ranger isn’t so bad when you don’t have a family that needs you.” She hisses, and Trini sucks in a breath as Zack clears his throat.

“Well, I’ve got a sick mom who has only me left to look after her, but I still think being a Power Ranger isn’t so bad.” He says simply.

Tommy winces, looks up at him apologetically, and she barely gets the words out before Zack shakes his head with a smile.

“It’s okay. I get it. You’re scared, and frustrated. But I swear, we’re not gonna judge you or get upset at you. All we’re gonna do is support you. You’re part of the team now. And even if you choose not to be part of the team, we’ll still support you.”

“Yeah.” Billy agrees with a grin, and Tommy smiles at them both before she looks at Jason and nods.

“Okay. I’ll…I’ll meet you after school and we’ll go to…to…”

“The ship.” Kimberly says with a grin. Tommy shudders, and Kimberly laughs.

“I get it, don’t worry.”

“In the meantime, why don’t you tell us more about yourself?” Jason says with a smile, and Trini sees the panic and hesitation flash in Tommy’s eyes.

“You don’t have to tell us everything, just…it’d be nice to know a little more about you.” Trini says hastily, and Tommy looks at each of them before she nods.

“Uh, well…I’m Tommy.”

“Hi Tommy.” They all chant with a grin, and she chuckles.

“Uh, my dad wanted to move here, and my mom didn’t really have it in her to fight him about it, so the next thing I knew, we were just up and leaving Oklahoma to come live here. I’m eighteen, I’m Native American, my favorite color is actually black, and…uh, I don’t know. I guess that’s it.” 

“Yeah, your favorite color is black.” Zack says with a grin and a nod, winking at Tommy, who laughs and raises an eyebrow at him.

“I’m guessing you’re the Black Ranger?” She asks, and Zack’s grin grows wider.

“I sure am.” Tommy’s eyes move to Billy, who frowns, not sure what she wants until Zack ruffles his head.

“That little quirk of her eyebrow is her asking what Ranger you are, Billy boy.” He says with a chuckle.

“Oh! Blue! I’m the Blue Ranger.” Billy says with a grin.

“Forgive our boy, he’s on the Spectrum. Misses social cues a lot.” Zack teases, but he squeezes Billy’s shoulders fondly as Billy grins back at him before looking at Tommy with a nod.

“So, Black and Blue…and you must be Pink?” Tommy teases, looking at Jason with a sly grin, and Jason laughs as Kimberly scoffs.

“He wishes he was that cool. No, I’m the Pink Ranger.” She says with a grin, and Jason’s grin grows wider.

“Red.” He says simply, and Tommy nods once before her eyes fall on Trini.

“So that leaves you, Yellow.” She says with a grin.

Trini’s whole body freezes, and the word reverberates in her mind loudly, Tommy’s voice changing into Rita’s as she sucks in a sharp breath.

_You’re losing, Yellow. Just give up._

Trini feels cold nails scratch down her neck, and goosebumps erupt on her skin as she jumps up from the bench with a whimper.

“Trini?” Kimberly says, her eyes widening in shock, and Trini simply shakes her head.

“I’ll be back. Bathroom.” She grunts, and she’s pretty much sprinting out of the cafeteria and into the girl’s bathroom around the corner.

As soon as she bursts through the door, she’s rushing toward a cubicle and slamming it shut, locking it as she sinks against the cubicle wall and slides down it, desperately trying to breathe as sweat begins to build on her forehead.

Why did she call her Yellow? Why did Tommy do that? Is Rita already influencing her? Is it possible that Rita already has her?

What if Tommy is Rita? What if she’s impersonating some new girl, trying to get into their ranks, to pull them apart from the inside-

“Trini?” 

The sound of Kimberly’s voice has Trini’s eyes snapping open, her whole body shaking as she swallows the lump in her throat.

“Trini, babe, are you in here?” Kimberly asks softly. 

Trini whimpers, and Kimberly knocks on the cubicle lightly.

“Trini…baby, please, open the door.” She whispers.

Trini lifts herself up, manages to unlatch the door before she collapses against the cubicle again weakly, and Kimberly squeezes her way through the cubicle before locking the door once more.

“Trini?” She kneels down in front of her girlfriend, her eyes filled with concern as Trini tries her best to breathe.

“I…I’m sorry-.”

“Shh, baby, you’re having a panic attack, I need you to breathe.” Kimberly says calmly, her hands reaching out and gripping Trini’s wrists lightly.

Trini shakes her head as she whimpers, tries to suck in a breath, but her lungs contract painfully as she winces.

“I c-can’t-.”

“Yes you can, shh, in through the nose, out through the mouth.” Kimberly whispers.

“Kim-.” Trini whines, and Kimberly smiles sadly, runs a finger through her sweat soaked hair.

“Watch me, come on, babe. Watch me…” Trini looks up at her, her vision blurred slightly from the panicked tears in her eyes, but Kimberly breathes in through her nose before exhaling out of her mouth, and Trini can smell the citrus from the orange she was eating during the lunch break as she copies her, closing her eyes and focusing simply on her breathing, on the feeling of Kimberly’s nails raking through her hair…Kimberly’s, not Rita’s…

“There you go, shh…I’ve got you.” 

Trini finally feels her breathing begin to normalize, feels her body beginning to relax and her lungs begin to expand bigger with air as she whines and collapses her head against Kimberly’s knees, and Kimberly runs her fingers down the neck of Trini’s shirt, her nails digging into Trini’s back lightly as she presses a kiss to the back of her head.

“You okay?” She breathes. Trini nods, and Kimberly moves her hands back up form under her shirt as Trini lifts her head.

“I’m sorry-.”

“She said ‘Yellow’. It reminded you of Rita.” She says knowingly, and Trini simply nods, doesn’t trust herself to speak as bile rises in the back of her throat, and Kimberly leans in and presses a soft kiss to her lips.

“I love you. I’m sorry.” Trini simply shakes her head, and Kimberly wraps her arms around her, lifts her up slowly off the ground as Trini curls into her.

“I’ve got you.” She whispers.

“Thank you.” Trini murmurs. Kimberly simply nods against her, and they stay wrapped in each other’s embrace for a few more moments before Kimberly sighs and pulls away.

“Come on…we shouldn’t get caught in here, people might get the wrong idea.” Trini nods, doesn’t have it in her to make jokes as Kimberly unlatches the lock and grips Trini’s hand, dragging her outside lightly before pulling her in for another gentle kiss.

“You don’t think she’s getting possessed by Rita like I did, do you?” Trini mumbles, and Kimberly sighs.

“Trini, she said ‘Yellow’ because it was the last color to be said, not because of Rita. You know that deep down, don’t you?” 

Trini hesitates, bites down on her lip as Kimberly chuckles and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“I get the paranoia, you know I do. I’m cautious, too. But that definitely wasn’t a sign of possession. It was more a ‘Kimberly is Pink, Jason is Red, Billy is Blue, Zack is Black, so Trini must be Yellow’ moment.” 

Trini takes a deep breath in, knows Kimberly’s speaking logically, but the nagging voice in the back of her head keeps telling her she might be right.

But she swallows down her worries and nods, smiles as she squeezes Kimberly’s hand reassuringly.

“Sorry. I’m an idiot.”

“No you’re not, babe. You’ve been through a lot, there’s no shame in still having triggers. I’m just sorry it happened so violently. I wish I could take your pain away.” 

And Trini leans up and kisses her a little more passionately than before, lips urgent against hers until she pulls away breathlessly.

“You already do.”

-

“You sure you’re ready?”

Tommy is looking over the Cliff in hesitation, and she looks up at all five of them again is if they’re completely insane, shaking her head as she runs her hands through her hair.

“This is crazy. You’re telling me we have to jump down this Cliff, because there’s a hidden pool that leads to the ship?” She says breathlessly.

“Yeah, basically.” Zack says with a grin.

“Come on, Tommy. Just follow us, we won’t lead you astray. You can trust us.” Billy says with a warm smile.

Tommy sighs, and she looks up at Jason and Kimberly before she nods once.

“O-Okay.”

“Watch Zack first. Zack?” Jason looks back at Zack with a nod, and Zack grins as he winks at Tommy before he runs toward the cliff before he jumps off it, arms spread wide as he cheers loudly, and Tommy gasps, watches his body fall with wide eyes before Billy does the same, jumping off the cliff with a shout as Tommy whimpers.

“This is fucking crazy…” She breathes.

“Live a little, Oliver.” Kimberly says, clapping her shoulder with a grin before she jumps down, and Trini looks up at Jason, who nods once.

“I’ve got her. Go.” Trini looks at Tommy, who looks extremely pale and sickly before she shrugs and follows Kimberly down the cliff, jumping with a yell before she lands in the water below.

When she resurfaces, Kimberly, Zack and Billy are swimming laps around the pool as Zack yells up loudly at Jason to hurry up.

And then Trini hears two screams, one deep, one shrill and feminine before there’s the sound of two splashes and Tommy and Jason resurface, both of them gasping for air as Jason grins at Tommy.

“See? Told you! You’re fine!” Tommy laughs breathlessly, looking around the pool in awe, and Trini looks down as the water begins to glow, a yellow aura forming around her.

“Guys!” She calls out, and they all look at her before they look down at the water around them.

“We’re glowing again!” Kimberly says. Trini looks up, sees a Pink aura around Kimberly, a black aura around Zack, a blue aura around Billy and a red aura around Jason.

And then she looks at Tommy.

A green aura forms around Tommy, glowing violently as she looks at the green water with wide eyes before looking up at the others.

“What’s happening?” She asks, and Jason smiles.

“Looks like you really are a Power Ranger, huh?” He says with a chuckle.

Tommy bites down on her bottom lip, and Kimberly chuckles.

“Come on! Follow us!”

Kimberly dives under the water, and Trini follows her, hears the others eventually follow suite as they all begin swimming their way down to the bottom of the pool, which is also the ceiling of the ship.

As soon as they land on the ground, Trini hears Tommy scream before she lands front first on the ground, groaning in pain as Jason rushes over to her and helps her up gently.

“Sorry, we should’ve warned you about that.”

“Maybe, yeah.” She gasps out, rubbing her shoulder with a wince as she looks up at the ceiling in confusion.

“What the hell…” She breathes, and Kimberly chuckles.

“Yeah, we still don’t know how it’s possible to be honest.”

But Tommy’s eyes move from the ceiling to the ship, and her eyes go wide, her mouth dropping open.

“Whoa…”

She’s frozen in shock, looking at the ship in utter disbelief as Jason waves her forward.

“Come on!” 

Trini makes her way toward the entrance of the ship, and Tommy eventually follows, muttering under her breath what Trini thinks must be encouragements to keep moving forward and not to run the fuck out of there, and the entrance immediately opens as soon as the Rangers reach it.

“This is-.”

“Crazy? Yeah.” Trini mutters. The other Rangers move forward, and Tommy follows behind them, each step hesitant.

And when Alpha 5 rounds the corner and runs toward them with a cheer, Tommy screams loudly and jumps back, and Trini believes she’s five seconds away from running away until Alpha 5’s eyes land on her.

“Ah! Is this the Green Ranger!? We’ve been waiting for you! This is great!”

“What the fuck is that?” Tommy gasps out.

“Alpha 5. He’s a robot. Come on.” Zack says with a grin, clapping Tommy’s shoulder, and Tommy whimpers before she swallows down her fear and follows the other Rangers into the ship.

“We’ve been waiting for you for so long! What’s your name?” Alpha 5 asks.

“T-Tommy.” Tommy squeaks out.

“Tommy! Nice to meet you, Tommy! Did you guys explain everything to her?”

“Uh, well…”

“We thought Zordon might do a better job than us.” Jason says with a weak smile, and Alpha 5 chuckles.

“Right, right! Then let’s go see him, shall we?” 

They move toward the morphing grid, Tommy still looking around with a look that tells Trini she’s in complete and utter disbelief and shock, and when Zordon blinks to life on the wall, Trini watches as Tommy sways slightly before Zack rushes to her side and holds her up.

“He’s a face on a wall, it’s crazy, I know. Just…breathe, Tom Girl.” Zack says with a chuckle, and Tommy looks up at him with a weak smile.

“Tom Girl?” She says hoarsely. Zack grins.

“You know…a play on Tomboy.” Tommy laughs faintly, and Zordon looks down at the Rangers before his eyes land on Tommy.

“Ah…this must be the Green Ranger.” He says firmly.

“It is.” Jason says with a grin.

“What is your name, child?” Zordon asks. Tommy gulps, and Trini’s surprised when she bravely steps forward.

“Tommy. What’s yours?” She asks.

“I am Zordon, the original Red Ranger, and leader of the original Power Rangers. My body has been destroyed, but my essence remains within the morphing grid. That’s how I’m able to talk with you now.”

“And how long ago was your body…destroyed?” Tommy asks with a frown.

“Sixty-five million years ago.” 

Tommy makes a choking sound, and Jason sighs as he looks at the others, and they all hang back as Zordon launches into his story, one they’ve heard many times before.

Trini entertains herself with wrapping her arms around Kimberly from behind and pressing kisses to the skin between her shoulder blades, and Kimberly runs her fingers up and down her forearms, humming in content softly. 

When Zordon finishes the tale of the original Rangers, he launches into Rita’s betrayal, and Trini buries her head into Kimberly’s back, whines softly as Kimberly lifts her hand and presses a kiss to it as Jason rubs her back gently.

Tommy, for her part, listens intently, frowns when she hears about Rita, and blinks in shock when Zordon tells her Rita was the Green Ranger.

“She betrayed you guys?” She asks.

“She did…but those were Rita’s actions. Just because you are the Green Ranger, does not mean you are Rita.”

“Yeah, I’m definitely not Zordon.” Jason says with a grin, and Zordon grumbles as Alpha 5 laughs.

“Hah! That’s funny!” He shouts.

Tommy frowns, and Zordon sighs.

“I understand your hesitation, Tommy. Being a Power Ranger is no easy task. But if the Power Coin chose you, it means that this is your destiny. Always has been and always will be. You were destined for this, Tommy. The Green Ranger mantle was made for you. You were born for this.” 

Tommy hesitates, looks over at the others before she sighs.

“I…I’m sorry. I just…I need time. I have so much going on at home, and I…please. Can I have time to think about this?” She whispers.

“I don’t see why not. There’s no threats that we know of.” Jason says, and Zordon sighs.

“Yet. But please, Tommy…do not take too long to decide. The team needs their Green Ranger.”

Tommy nods once, and looks over at the others again before making her way toward them.

“I’m sorry guys-.”

“No, don’t even apologize, Tommy. At least you get a choice. We were kind of thrown into it with eleven days to train to be Power Rangers so we could defeat Rita, so…” Zack mutters, and Tommy’s eyes widen.

“Wait, Rita came back? I thought you said she disappeared during the meteor attack?” She says, looking up at Zordon.

“Uh, well…when the Coins were reactivated, Rita was brought back. She was who attacked Angel Grove.” Alpha 5 says.

“Both times?” She asks. Jason nods.

“Yeah.”

“Is…is she still alive?” Tommy asks, a hint of fear in her voice, and Trini’s heart sinks.

Jason looks at her, and she shakes her head infinitesimally.

She’s not letting Tommy know anything about Diana until she knows for sure she can trust her.

“No. She was killed during the second attack.” Jason says simply. 

“Which is why the Green Power Coin was deactivated and reactivated when it found you!” Alpha 5 says excitedly.

“Right…” Tommy runs a hand through her hair, and Jason sighs and grips her shoulder sympathetically.

“Take your time with the choice, Tommy. It’s a massive one to make. Whatever your choice is…we’ll support you.”

Tommy smiles, and she watches as Tommy’s eyes land on Kimberly and Trini wrapped in each other’s embrace. Her eyes widen in shock a little before she gives them a knowing smile.

“I didn’t know you two were together.” She says, and Kimberly smiles.

“Yeah. Ranger bonding, you know.” She says, and Tommy chuckles before she takes a deep breath in and nods.

“Okay. I need to get home…do you guys wanna tell me how I’m supposed to get out of here?”

And Trini grins as Jason chuckles and nods once before wrapping an arm around Tommy’s shoulders.

“Come on. Back through the magic pool we go.”


	17. and the battle's just begun (there's many lost but tell me who has won)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" by U2.
> 
> i am...so sorry.  
> you can yell at me on my tumblr: movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com!  
> comments are appreciated!

“You’re slacking.”

“I am not.”

“Pick up the pace, Wonder Woman.”

Diana growls, and Trini grins, sways slightly as Diana moves down and back up with a grunt. 

“I asked you to be extra weight, not running commentary.” Diana says, raising an eyebrow and looking behind her at Trini positioned on her back with a grin. Trini taps the top of her head.

“Go on. You’re on three hundred and eight.” Diana rolls her eyes, does another push up as Trini adjusts herself on Diana’s back comfortably.

“So…how’s it going with Tommy?” Diana asks breathlessly. 

Trini sighs and shrugs, grips Diana’s shoulders to stabilize herself as Diana lowers and lifts herself again.

“Three hundred and nine. She’s…struggling. I don’t know. She hangs out with us at lunch, and she’s come to the ship a few times to watch us train, but she still hasn’t fully embraced being a Power Ranger yet. Three hundred and ten. We don’t want to pressure her, you know?” 

“Three hundred and eleven. I get it. Like I said, give her space to make her own mind up.”

“Three hundred and twelve. Yeah I know.”

“Three hundred and thirteen. Do you still feel anxious about her?”

“Three hundred and fourteen. Yes. I can’t shake it off. I’m trying but…”

Diana stops, sighs before nodding and looking back at her.

“Okay. Hop off.” 

“Oh come on, at least get to three hundred and fifteen.” Trini teases, and Diana rolls her eyes and dips back down and up easily.

“There. Off.” Trini jumps off Diana’s back, and Diana groans as she stands and stretches her arms before tightening her ponytail and resting her hands on her hips before looking at Trini with a raised eyebrow.

“What is it, little one?” She asks softly. Trini sighs, bites her lip with hesitation.

It’s been a week now since Tommy was revealed as the Green Power Ranger. Tommy had been hanging out with them during school, getting to know them a bit more and had even come to the ship to watch them train and to understand what being a Power Ranger is, and the others had warmed up to her almost immediately.

It’s not hard to see why.

Tommy was amazing. She got along with all of them easily, and it was clear to see why the Green Coin has chosen her. 

But Trini couldn’t stop herself from being wary. 

Every time Tommy pulled out her Green Power Coin, Trini could only stare at it in a mixture of anger and anxiety. 

It’s strange. In Rita’s hands, the Green Coin had glowed a dark green almost black with evil, but in Tommy’s hands, it’s a bright green, happy and light, filled with hope.

But Trini still can’t help it. Can’t stop herself from seeing Rita’s smirk, feeling Rita’s fingers digging into her skin every time her eyes fall on the Green Coin in Tommy’s hands. 

“I just keep associating the Green Ranger with Rita, I guess…I’m just trying to not compare Tommy to Rita. She’s a good person, she’s not anything like Rita, but…”

“I understand.” Diana says with a nod. Trini sighs and collapses against Diana, who wraps her arms around her tightly.

“You’re going to get through this, little one. One day you’ll stop being scared. You’ll stop being cautious. But it takes time. It’s only been a month or so since it happened, Trini…” Diana murmurs.

Trini nods against her.

“I hope so. I want to trust her. I do.” 

“You will, little one. Give it time.”

“Mmm…” Trini grins widely before wrinkling her nose.

“You smell.” Diana gasps in mock surprise.

“I do not!” 

“You do.” Trini teases, and Diana growls lightly before she taps Trini’s backside with her hand and makes her way out of the living room.

“I’ll shower, you order food.” 

“Pizza?” Diana grunts, and Trini frowns.

“Chinese food?” Diana cheers, and Trini laughs.

“Chinese it is.” 

She grips her Power Coin in her hands, watches it flare with a bright Yellow flash, and she closes her eyes, focuses on Kimberly before she finds herself in her girlfriend’s room.

Kimberly smiles as soon as she sees her, jumps up from her bed and makes her way over to her and embraces her in a hug.

“Hey.”

“Hey. You coming over for dinner? I’m about to order Chinese.” Kimberly sighs and presses a kiss to her forehead before shaking her head.

“Mom’s got me helping her for dinner. But I’ll come over tonight once they’re asleep.” She says.

“Okay.” Kimberly smiles, kisses her gently before running her fingers through her hair.

“Have you felt Tommy yet?” Kimberly asks. Trini sighs and shakes her head.

All five of them had been trying to tap into the bond to see if they could feel any of Tommy’s emotions yet, but so far none of them had felt anything.

Zordon had told them that it had taken time for them to form the bond with each other, that it would take Tommy a little longer, but all it does is make Trini more paranoid.

What if Tommy was stopping herself from joining the bond because Rita was in the back of her mind?

She’s too scared to bring this up with any of them, even Kimberly. She’s scared they’ll think she’s being too crazy, too paranoid…

“Not yet…”

“Mmm…it’ll happen eventually.” 

“Kimberly!? I need your help, honey!” Kimberly’s mom yells from downstairs, and Trini smiles up at Kimberly and presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“Go. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Okay. Bye, babe.” 

Trini focuses back on herself, and when she opens her eyes, she’s looking down at her Power Coin, the yellow color flaring once more before it returns to normal. 

She frowns down at it, tries to see if she can see any Green that once plagued her Coin so long ago, but there’s nothing.

“Come on, Trin…” She whispers to herself.

She should know by now. The Green is gone from her Coin. Rita is gone.

The only Green plaguing her now is in her mind.

And she has no idea how to begin to scrub it away.

The rest of the night passes by easily, and as soon as Trini curls up under her covers, Kimberly’s clambering through her window in less than an hour, barely saying a word as she sighs tiredly and curls up under the blankets beside Trini and throws an arm around her waist before resting her forehead between Trini’s shoulder blades.

Trini interlaces their fingers, hums tiredly before turning over to face her.

“You okay?” She whispers hoarsely. Kimberly smiles, her eyes still closed as she nods once.

“Mmm…just tired.”

“You should’ve stayed home and slept.” Trini says with a chuckle, and Kimberly whines and pulls her closer.

“Can’t sleep without you.” She murmurs, and Trini smiles and presses a kiss to her collarbone before snuggling closer to Kimberly’s chest. 

“Can’t sleep without you, either.” It’s silent for a few moments before Kimberly suddenly chuckles.

“You know how they say there’s a million different ways to say ‘I love you’?” She says with a whisper. 

“Yeah?” Trini says with a frown of confusion, and Kimberly kisses her hair and shakes her head.

“Nothing. Goodnight, babe.” 

It takes a moment for Trini to click, and she grins, but says nothing, simply wraps her arms around Kimberly’s waist.

“Goodnight, mi amor.” 

-

“So…you guys know Wonder Woman?” 

Trini chokes on the bottle of juice she’s drinking from, and Kimberly thumps her back as Tommy looks back and forth between them with a frown.

“Uh…sorry, it’s just that there was video footage of you guys fighting with Batman and Wonder Woman during the second Encounter, so…” Tommy shrugs, opens up her packet of chips as Jason looks at Trini hesitantly.

“I…uh, we-well-.” Jason stutters, and Kimberly looks around the cafeteria at the other students before leaning in close to Tommy.

“We know her.” Is all she says. Tommy grins widely.

“Does this mean I’ll get to meet her eventually? Because she’s a total badass and I might cry if I do, I won’t lie.” 

“We’ll see.” Trini says firmly, and Tommy frowns, but nods all the same as Kimberly sighs and grips her hand under the table.

Trini runs a hand through her hair, is on the verge of apologizing for being so blunt, but the bell rings and Tommy pretty much jumps up from her seat before shouldering her bag.

“I won’t be in school for the rest of the day, but I’ll meet you guys on the Cliff after school?” She says, and Zack grins.

“Sure thing, TomGirl.” She rolls her eyes at the nickname, but walks away with a wave before bouncing the apple in her other hand.

“Okay…what was that?” Zack asks, looking at Trini with a raised eyebrow, and she shrugs.

“I wanna know we can trust her completely before I tell her Wonder Woman is my mother.” She says simply, and Billy looks at her with a frown.

“But we can trust her, right? Right, Jason?” He says, and Jason sighs.

“I think we can. She hasn’t shown any kind of behavior to indicate otherwise. Why, has she said something to you?” Jason asks Trini, and she shakes her head.

“No. But still…” 

“Trini-.”

“Guys, back off. She went through a lot of shit with Rita, you can’t expect her to just be okay with a Green Ranger showing up.” Kimberly says firmly, and Zack ruffles his hair before jumping up from his seat.

“That’s fair, but still. Tommy’s been great so far, Trin.”

“I know, alright?” Trini says gruffly, and Kimberly sighs.

“Come on, we’ve got Biology.” 

“See you guys at the Cliff? I’ve got Mom’s car for the day, so I can drive Zack and Billy.” Jason says, and Kimberly nods.

“Yeah, no problem.” 

The rest of the day passes by easily, Trini’s unease continuing to grow, and Kimberly sighs and does her best to comfort her, gripping her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze or simply smiling in her direction whenever she can.

When they drive to the Cliffs at the end of the day, Trini’s phone begins ringing loudly, and Kimberly sees it’s Diana’s caller ID for half a second before Trini answers it.

Kimberly sees Tommy sitting at the edge of the Cliff ahead of them, and she looks at Trini, who simply nods at her as she continues talking to Diana before Kimberly sighs and jumps out of the car.

She makes her way over to Tommy, and as soon as she sees the cigarette in her hands, she can’t help the grin that lights her face.

“Smoking kills, you know.”

Kimberly comes to a stop just at the edge of the Cliff and drops her bag beside her before sitting down beside Tommy, who chuckles as she takes a drag from her cigarette and swings her legs hanging over the Cliff’s edge. 

“Funny. Your girlfriend said the exact same thing when she saw me smoking before detention. I’m aware smoking kills, but…now I’m a superhero with super healing, so…”

“True.” Kimberly looks up at the setting sun, checks her phone before looking behind her to see if Trini is still taking with Diana, which she is, a smile on her face as she makes eye contact with Trini.

“So…I’m thinking I might join you guys for training today.” Kimberly’s head snaps back to Tommy, and she grins.

“Yeah? That’s awesome, Tommy!” Kimberly says with a smile. Tommy sighs.

“Yeah, I just…I mean, it’s gonna happen eventually, and I wanna learn, you know?” She says hesitantly. Kimberly stares at her for a few moments.

“Tommy, it’s okay. You can just keep watching if you’d like.” Tommy simply nods, and Kimberly touches her shoulder.

“Seriously, you don’t have to. We don’t want you to feel pressured, Tommy…”

“No, I know. You guys have been great for the last week, you’ve made me feel so welcome and I’m thankful. But it’s so much responsibility…”

“I know…”

Tommy runs a hand through her hair before she takes another drag from her cigarette before throwing it over the Cliff.

“You know, my Mom really didn’t want to move here, for obvious reasons, but Dad was adamant. Something about how it would fix everything…I don’t know why. Guess he was wrong, huh? Just fucked everything up even more.” Tommy scoffs and shakes her head with a sigh. 

“You don’t have to be a Power Ranger, Tommy.” Kimberly says softly. Tommy looks up at her, her eyes filled with sadness as she gives her a lopsided smile.

“I can’t turn my back on you guys. You need your Green Ranger. And…” Tommy hesitates, and Kimberly raises her eyebrows as Tommy rolls her eyes.

“I kinda like you guys, whatever…” She grumbles. Kimberly grins, and Tommy chuckles, looks up at the setting sun before exhaling loudly and turning back to look at Trini, who’s stepping out of the car now, still on the phone with Diana.

“So…you and Trini. How long has that been going on for?” Kimberly smiles fondly at Trini before looking out at the sun.

“Ever since we became Rangers, if I’m being honest. But officially? About two and a half months or so.” Tommy nods.

“You two are cute together.” She says with a smile. Kimberly laughs.

“We try.” It comes out naturally, and she can’t but chuckle to herself.

Diana and Trini are starting to rub off on her…

“I had a girlfriend back home in Oklahoma. It didn’t end well.” Tommy says with a sigh, and Kimberly’s eyes widen.

“I didn’t know you were gay.” She says, and Tommy chuckles and shakes her head.

“Not gay. Bi.” Kimberly grins.

“Me too!” Tommy laughs, holds a hand up as Kimberly laughs and high fives her. 

“Is Trini?”

“No, she’s definitely gay.” Kimberly says, laughing even louder, and Tommy grins.

“You think she’s the one?” Tommy asks. Kimberly smiles softly before she nods without hesitation and looks back at Trini lovingly.

“Yeah…without a doubt. I mean, I’ve never been one to like, believe in soulmates, but with her…yeah. She’s the one.” Kimberly feels her heart warm up just at the sight and thought of Trini, and Tommy smiles softly at her before looking back out at the sunset again.

“Man…I don’t even know you guys that well and I’m jealous of what you have. Don’t let go of her, Hart.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Kimberly says softly. 

“What are you guys talking about?” Kimberly jumps as Trini comes to a stop beside them, shoving her phone into her pocket, and Kimberly grins.

“Nothing. How’s Diana?” 

“She’s good.”

“Diana?” Tommy asks, and Trini smiles.

“My mom.”

“Ah…hey, do you guys have like waterproof phone cases or something? I’ve been putting mine into a zip lock bag to stop it from getting wet.” Tommy says, lifting a zip lock bag out of the pocket of her green jacket, and Kimberly smiles.

“Waterproof phones, actually. Billy’s doing. Ask him, he’ll be happy to hook you up.” Tommy’s eyes widen.

“Wow, he can make waterproof phones? Kid’s a genius, huh?”

“Pretty much.” Trini says with a grin. 

“Speak of the devil…” Kimberly says as Jason’s car pulls up next to Kimberly’s, and her and Tommy jump up as the boys exit the car and make their way toward them. 

“There’s our Power Girls!” He says with a grin, and Kimberly jumps at him and ruffles his hair.

“Power Rangers, thank you!” Zack lands a soft punch to her stomach, and Kimberly chuckles and slaps his hand away.

“Hey, so…Tommy thinks she’s ready to actually start training with us now.”

“Really?” Jason says, looking at Tommy with wide eyes, and she nods once with a smile.

“Yeah…think it’s about time.”

“Damn, TomGirl!” Zack grins and claps her shoulder, and Kimberly grins before looking behind him at Trini.

She has a frown on her face, and Kimberly’s smile fades.

“Babe?” Trini’s frown turns to a soft smile as Kimberly wraps her arms around her and presses a kiss to her temple.

“You okay?” She whispers softly into her ear.

“Mmm...can we talk?” Trini breathes, and Kimberly nods.

“Of course, babe.” She whispers. She turns to the others.

“Hey, we’ll be with you in a second, okay?” Jason frowns, but Zack shrugs.

“No problem. We’ll get Tommy prepped in the Pit while we wait. Come on, TomGirl.” Zack says, shoving Tommy lightly, and she grins and shoves him back before Zack’s jumps off the Cliff.

Tommy watches him for a moment before exhaling deeply.

“I’m still not used to this.” She mutters.

“Don’t worry, neither are we.” Jason says with a wink, and Tommy sighs before she jumps down after Zack with a yell. Billy jumps in after her, and Jason smiles back at Kimberly and Trini.

“Don’t take too long.” Kimberly nods and Jason jumps in after Billy with a cheer. Kimberly turns to face Trini with a gentle smile.

“What’s up?” Kimberly says, tucking Trini’s hair behind her ear. Trini sighs and bites down on her lip in hesitation.

“What were you and Tommy talking about?” She asks. Kimberly blinks in confusion, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“I’m not asking because I’m jealous, I swear. I just…” Trini hesitates, and Kimberly sighs.

“Babe, talk to me. Please?” She says slowly, and Trini licks her lips.

“I’m still hesitant about her. I wish I wasn’t, but I am. I can’t shake off the feeling that she’s-.”

“Gonna betray us?” Kimberly finishes. Trini bites down on her lip again before nodding, and Kimberly cradles her cheek with her hand.

“Trini…we can’t work as a team if you can’t trust her.”

“I know that, I know, fuck I’m trying. I’m trying, but I can’t-.” 

“Shh, shh, it’s okay.” Kimberly leans in and kisses her, lips urgent but soft as Trini melts against her, fingers gripping the front of her shirt and pulling her closer as she whines. Kimberly pulls away, rests her forehead against Trini’s with a deep sigh.

“Trini, I understand, I do. But Tommy…she’s a good person, and she doesn’t deserve us comparing her to Rita. We can trust her.” Trini stiffens against her, pulls back and looks at her guiltily.

“I know that…I do. But how do you know that? How do you know we can trust her?” She says. 

“I don’t. I just have faith. And she’s been so great with us so far…I don’t know, I just think she’s someone we can rely on, Trin.” 

Trini nods, but Kimberly can still see the hesitation in her eyes, and she sighs in frustration, which causes Trini to wince.

“I’m sorry-.”

“No, no, I’m not annoyed at you I just…fuck, I wish I could bring Rita back to life just so I could kill her again. I hate that she’s done this to you…” Kimberly whispers, and Trini smiles sadly, reaches up and brushes her cheek with her thumb.

“You really care about me, don’t you?” She whispers.

Kimberly smiles, eyes roaming over Trini’s face…

The way her chocolate brown eyes blaze with the sunset, the golden rays illuminating her tan skin, golden and shining…

She brushes her thumb over Trini’s full lips, cradles her cheek before leaning in and kissing her, unable to resist as nothing but pure and unadulterated love slams into her.

She loves her.

She loves her, God, she loves her more than she loves herself-

“Kim?” Trini breathes against her, and Kimberly shakes her head, kisses her again, deeply, passionately, can’t get enough of her-

Trini pulls away with a gasp of air, and Kimberly simply moves her lips down to Trini’s jawline, her mind spinning with intoxication as Trini’s perfume fills her senses-

“I love you. I love you so much.” Kimberly breathes, resting her forehead against Trini’s, and Trini smiles, presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth before nodding.

“After training…you and me…”

“I know. I know, fuck, can we finish training now?” Kimberly groans, kissing her pulse point gently as Trini chuckles and runs her fingers through her hair.

“Come on, let’s go.” 

They jump over the Cliff hand in hand, land in the water and swim their way toward the ship, and as soon as they walk through the entrance and enter the morphing grid, Jason looks up at them with a smile.

“Glad you could make it.” He says, and Kimberly rolls her eyes and shoves him lightly as Zack claps his hands together with a wicked grin at Tommy.

“You’re in for a wild ride, TomGirl.” Tommy rolls her eyes, but grins up at Kimberly and Trini.

“You guys mind if I train with you?”

“Not at all! We’ll go easy on you.” Kimberly says with a smile, squeezing Trini’s hand lightly. 

“Come on, let’s get to the Pit.” Jason says.

“There’s some new moves I’ve got for you guys, if you wanted to try those out first.” Alpha 5 says, and Jason nods once.

“Sounds good.”

“Tommy, Trini and I will watch while you guys learn it.” Kimberly says firmly, and Jason nods once.

As soon as they enter the Pit and Alpha 5 conjures up the holographic Putties, the girls first observe Zack, Jason and Billy go through the steps that Alpha 5 shows them before they attack, all three of them working as a unit to take down as many Putties as they can while Kimberly, Trini and Tommy watch from the sidelines.

“Holy crap. They’ve already got the move nailed. They’re-.”

“Killing it? Yeah…” Trini says with a proud grin, and Tommy scoffs in disbelief, shaking her head as she watches them in awe. 

As soon as they’ve taken down the twenty Putties that Alpha 5 has spawned, Tommy looks at Kimberly and Trini in disbelief.

“I’m not gonna be able to do that.” Kimberly laughs.

“Not right now. But we were in the same position as you not a few months ago. Moves took us forever to learn. Let’s just start slow. Trini?” 

Trini hesitates, and Kimberly watches with a frown as Trini shakes her head and steps back.

“You’ve got this.” She says simply, and Kimberly’s frown only deepens.

“Everything okay?” Tommy asks with concern, and Trini nods once.

“Yeah. Just not feeling well. Don’t worry, you’re in safe hands with Kim.” She says with a smile. Tommy smiles back, and Kimberly sighs and faces Tommy with raised fists.

“Come on, I’ll show you how to throw a punch.”

“I know how to throw a punch.” Tommy says with a roll of her eyes. Kimberly grins.

“Sasha Browning probably agrees with that, but still. We’ll see about that.” 

Kimberly is amazed by Tommy’s resilience.

Kimberly lands some soft punches on her, and Tommy growls and shakes her head, tells her not to go easy on her.

So Kimberly treats her like a Power Ranger.

She punches hard, uses her body to fight against Tommy as if she’s an enemy, and to Tommy’s credit, she fights back, gets a few lands in on Kimberly that have her wincing and rubbing the already blue bruises forming on her skin.

But Tommy definitely gets the worst end of the stick.

By the end of it, Tommy is groaning, clutching her ribs and her shoulders in pain as she winces with every step she takes toward the exit of the Pit, scratches and cuts on her face and body that drip with blood, and Kimberly sighs sympathetically as Tommy wipes the blood away from her nose with a sniff.

“You told me not to go easy on you…” Kimberly says, and Tommy looks at down at her torn clothes with a sigh.

“No, I’m good. Just…that was intense.” Tommy breathes, wincing as she clutches her ribs, and Kimberly chuckles.

“Yeah. Don’t worry, you’ll feel sore tomorrow, but your Ranger healing will help, too.”

“What other powers do I have by the way?” Tommy asks with a frown, and Alpha 5 steps forward.

“Super strength, super speed, accelerated healing…standard superhero stuff! What we really need though, is for you to morph.”

“Morph?” Tommy says in confusion, looking down at Alpha 5 with a frown. 

“Yeah, it’s what happens when we get into our suits.” Billy says with a grin, and Tommy’s eyes glint with excitement.

“How do I morph?” She asks, and Trini suddenly speaks up.

“You need to bond with the team. We’re a unit. In order to morph, you need to become one of us.” Alpha 5 nods.

“In order to truly become a Power Ranger, you need to morph. And in order to morph, you need to become one with the team, need to be able to work together seamlessly.”

“Through training?” Tommy asks.

“No. Through being part of the family.” Trini says firmly. Tommy hesitates, looks between the five of them with wide eyes before pursing her lips.

“I feel like I’m joining the Mafia.” She mutters.

“You kind of are.” Zack says with a laugh. 

Kimberly watches Trini, watches her scuff the floor with her boot as she avoids eye contact with the others, and Tommy suddenly sighs.

“I want to be part of the team. I do. But there’s just a lot going on at home...” She trails off, and Zack grips her shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze.

“Hey, we get it. Trust us, we’ve got stuff going on at home, too. And being a Power Ranger isn’t easy. It’s hard work, and it’s putting the town and everyone else’s lives before your own. Shit’s intense. That’s why we keep telling you to take your time with the decision.” Tommy nods.

“I know. It’s not so much risking my life to save others that’s stopping me. I’ve always loved helping people…but it’s the thought of leaving my family behind that scares me.” She whispers, tears welling in her eyes as she looks up at the others. 

Kimberly feels her own tears begin to form, and she feels pain in her heart that she’s never felt before.

Fear, terror.

But not for herself.

For a sister.

She gasps, looks at Jason, whose eyes widen as he nods.

“I felt it too.” He whispers. 

“Felt what?” Tommy asks, and Jason hesitates before he shakes his head. 

“I…nothing.” Kimberly sighs.

“Tommy, take all the time you need, okay? We want you to be one hundred percent certain. We’ll be okay with whatever decision you make.” Alpha 5 says, and Tommy smiles again, exhales deeply before nodding.

“Okay.” Zack claps his hands and wraps an arm around Billy, ruffling his head before groaning as he rotates his arm.

“Ugh, I hate training.” He moans, and Tommy laughs.

“Hear, hear. So you guys did this every day for eleven days?” Tommy asks, and Jason nods.

“Yeah. Rita was back, we had to be prepared.” Tommy shakes her head in disbelief.

“Insane.”

“Yeah, so was she…” Trini mutters.

They all begin making their way out of the Pit, Zack wrapping an arm around Tommy and pulling her close with a grin.

“How was training?” Zordon asks them as soon as they enter the morphing grid, and Tommy sighs.

“I’m sore all over.”

“It’s necessary, Tommy. Training is essential.” Zordon says, and Tommy nods.

“I know.”

“Let your body rest. Are you ready for another lesson on the history of the Power Rangers?” Zordon asks, and Tommy looks up at him with wide eyes.

“Is it okay if I skip on that today? It’s just…I’ve got family stuff to take care of…”

Zordon watches her for a few moments before he nods.

“Of course.” 

“Is everything okay?” Billy asks, and Tommy smiles.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. See you guys tomorrow at school?”

“Sure.” Zack extends a fist, and she bumps it with a grin before shouldering her bag and waving goodbye to them as she heads to the exit of the ship.

Zack grins at Jason, who nods his head.

“She’s gonna fit right in.”

“Yeah! I like her, Jason!” Billy says, clapping his hands excitedly. 

“I felt her. Through the bond. Did you guys?” Kimberly says, and Trini’s head snaps up in shock as Zack and Billy grin.

“I felt a twinge!” Billy says with excitement. 

“I felt her. Completely.” Jason says with a nod, and Zack nods as well.

“A twinge, like Billy.”

“You’ve felt Tommy through the bond?” Alpha 5 says in shock, and Kimberly nods.

“It was brief, but it was there for sure. Is this a good thing?” She asks Zordon, and he smiles.

“It means Tommy’s becoming a part of the team and is getting closer to becoming a Power Ranger. It’s definitely a good thing.”

“Trini, did you feel her?” Jason asks.

They all turn to look at Trini, and Kimberly sees her scuff her feet on the ground as she sighs, and Kimberly bites her lip in hesitation before leaning in close to Trini.

“Come on. Your place.” She murmurs, and Trini nods once as Kimberly looks at Jason and the others.

“We’ll see you guys tomorrow?” Jason frowns, but nods all the same.

“Uh, yeah, sure thing. Text me later?” He murmurs to Kimberly, and she nods. 

They’re silent as they leave the ship and swim up through the pool toward the Cliff, and as soon as they land on the top, Kimberly shakes the water from her body as Trini begins moving toward Kimberly’s car.

“Hey, Trin…talk to me.” She says softly, reaching for her wrist, and Trini stops short, turns to look at her with a sigh.

“I didn’t feel her, okay?” She says simply, and Kimberly frowns before shaking her head.

“That’s okay-.”

“No, it’s not. Because if I wasn’t blocking her off, I would’ve felt her. God, I hate this, I hate it so much and I just wish I could stop being so fucking stupid and treating her like she’s an enemy when she’s not! Did you see her, Kimberly? She was so happy training with us! And she literally said to my face that she didn’t mind risking her life to save others! She deserves to be a Power Ranger, but I’m treating her like she’s Rita, and I can’t fucking stop!” 

Trini is sobbing, her whole body shaking with uncontained anger as Kimberly watches her outburst in shock. 

“Babe-.”

“I can’t, I just…” Trini inhales sharply, and Kimberly doesn’t say anything, just pulls her close and hugs her as Trini cries into her chest.

“I don’t want to bring the team down…” She whispers, a tremor in her voice as she grips Kimberly’s shirt in her fingers tightly.

“Shh…you’re not bringing the team down, Trin…” Kimberly whispers back, running her fingers through Trini’s hair gently. 

“I’m trying, I am-.”

“Shh, I know. Trini look at me.” Kimberly tucks a finger under her chin, lifts her head up as Trini sniffs back her tears. 

“Let’s get back to your place, we’ll talk there, okay?” Kimberly says softly, and Trini nods once. 

“Mom won’t be home, she’s grocery shopping.” She mumbles, and Kimberly smiles.

“Even better. We can talk in private. Let’s go.” 

The drive to Trini’s house is quiet, Kimberly refusing to let go of Trini’s hand the entire drive. As soon as Kimberly pulls up into the driveway of Trini’s house, she jumps out of her car and takes Trini’s hand in her own.

“Come on.” Kimberly leads her through the front door before leading her upstairs to her room and dragging her down onto the bed on top of her. Trini sighs against her, buries her head into Kimberly’s chest as Kimberly draws patterns against her back.

“Look, I don’t want to be like this, I don’t want to be a bitch toward Tommy-.”

“Trini, it’s only been a few days since Tommy became a Ranger, we don’t expect you to welcome her with open arms immediately, especially after everything that’s happened. It’s gonna take time. We get that. I wish you’d stop bringing yourself down about this.” Kimberly says softly. Trini looks up at her, resting her chin against Kimberly’s collarbone.

“But you guys are trying to make her feel welcome and I’m just…I keep pushing her away.” She croaks out.

“Trini, what Rita did to you…” Kimberly feels Trini’s emotions hit her at the words, and her own emotions begin to whirl in her chest and feels tears well in her eyes as the memories hit her.

Rita dragging Trini up by her hair, throwing her around like a rag doll, the terror in Trini’s eyes-

“Kim?” Trini breathes. Kimberly shakes her head, presses a kiss to Trini’s forehead before intertwining their fingers together.

“What she did to you-fuck…” She can’t get the words out, her emotions getting the better of her, and Trini leans up and presses a kiss to her jawline.

“I know.” She breathes against her skin. 

“You get what I’m saying though, right?” Kimberly whispers hoarsely, running her fingers through Trini’s hair.

“I know. I know…” Trini closes her eyes, inhales deeply, and Kimberly smiles, pulls her up closer until Trini presses her lips against Kimberly’s gently. 

“Take your time, Trini. I’ll be here for you no matter what.” Trini smiles against her lips.

“But the guys-.”

“Fuck the guys, you matter to me more than anything, okay?” Kimberly says, and Trini rolls her eyes.

“You don’t mean that, you love the boys.”

“I do. But Trini…you know all that matters to me is that you’re okay. I know this stuff with Tommy is confusing you, and I wish I could help you…” 

“I know. I’m sorry if you’re upset at me for not warming up to Tommy…” She mumbles, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“I’m not upset at you for not warming up to her. I’m upset at Rita for making you think you can’t trust people anymore.” Kimberly says softly. Trini sighs.

“I do trust people. I trust you.” She whispers. Kimberly smiles, kisses her a little more deeply as she grips her hair.

“I trust you, too.” Kimberly says with a chuckle. 

“Mmm, is that another one of the million ways to say ‘I love you’?” Trini teases, and Kimberly kisses her with a grin.

“It’s probably in there somewhere.” Trini rolls her eyes, rests her palms flat over Kimberly’s breasts and pushes herself up.

“Ow! Really?” Kimberly groans, attempting to slap her hands away lightly, but Trini grins down at her. 

“Mine.” She teases, and Kimberly cocks an eyebrow with a smirk.

“They’re attached to my body! Mine.” She says, and Trini shakes her head, keeps her hands on Kimberly’s breasts before leaning down to kiss her.

“Mine?” She says against her lips playfully, and Kimberly laughs against her.

“Fine. Yours. But then these are mine.” She gropes Trini’s chest, and Trini pouts down at her before shrugging.

“Okay, fine. Yours.” Kimberly moves her hands down to Trini’s ribs, begins tickling her, and Trini’s eyes go wide.

“AH, NO!” She rolls off Kimberly, yelping as she rolls too far and falls of the bed, and Kimberly howls with laughter as Trini pops her head up the side of the bed with a grumble.

“Unbelievable.” 

-

It’s the middle of the night when it happens.

Trini wakes with a start, feels panic rise in her chest to the point where she can barely breathe, her heart squeezing and her lungs throbbing painfully as sweat immediately begins to form on her forehead.

She thinks it must be a panic attack.

But then Kimberly’s jumping up beside her with a scream, her eyes wide as she looks around the room wildly before looking at Trini breathlessly.

“I-.”

“Zack.” Trini gasps out.

She can feel it. 

He’s panicked, he’s worried, he’s completely freaking out-

Her door is thrown open, and the light flicks on.

“Trini? Kimberly? What’s going on?” Diana’s voice is urgent, and Trini looks up at her mother just as she sits down at the edge of her bed, fingers gripping Trini’s shoulders tightly.

“Zack…Something’s wrong with Zack.” Trini manages to get out. Diana’s frown grows deeper, her brown eyes filled with concern, but all too quickly, she’s standing with a nod.

“Grab your phones and your Coins. Let’s go.” She says simply.

Trini’s jumping out of her bed as Kimberly throws the covers off herself and grabs both their Power Coins. 

“Trini?” Trini’s head snaps up at the sound of his voice, and she sees Jason pops up behind Diana, tears in his eyes as he shakes his head at them.

“Jason? Zack-.”

“It’s his mom.” Jason says hoarsely.

Trini’s heart drops.

“Trini?”

Trini looks at Diana, sees her looking at Trini intently.

“No…”

“What? What is it?” Diana asks urgently.

“We need to get to the car. We’ll come to him when we get there.” Trini tells Jason, and he nods once, disappears as Trini throws on a jacket, and Diana seems to connect the dots as she inhales sharply.

“Is it his mother?” Diana asks softly. Trini simply nods, and Diana lets out a soft whimper before she’s ushering Trini and Kimberly out of her room.

The three of them dash down the stairs, all of them racing to the front door. As soon as they’re secure in the car, Trini looks at Kimberly in the backseat, grips her hand, and closes her eyes, focuses her mind on Zack.

When she opens her eyes, she’s at Zack’s trailer. 

There’s an ambulance there, the red and blue lights circling and illuminating the trailer with bright light.

And Zack is sitting outside it with his back against the trailer, tears falling down his face as he grips his hair in anguish.

“Zack!” Trini runs straight for him, but Jason grips her wrist to stop her.

“He can’t. The paramedics are watching.” Zack looks up at her as she calls out, whimpers before shaking his head as a paramedic makes his way toward him.

“You can ride with her in the back.”

“Please…is she going to be okay?” Zack chokes out as he jumps up. The paramedic sighs and grips Zack’s shoulder.

“I’m not sure, son. We’ll do everything we can.”

Trini’s heart drops.

Emotions flood through the bond from all five of them.

Panic. Sadness. Heartbreak.

“Zack…”

He looks back at them just before he enters the ambulance, his eyes bloodshot as he sniffs.

“Meet me at the Hospital.” He murmurs. They all nod, and as soon as he gets inside the ambulance, Trini looks at Jason and Billy.

“I’m with Diana, we’re driving there now. Do you want us to come pick you up?” 

“Please? I’m at Billy’s anyway.” Jason says softly. Trini nods once.

“We’ll be there soon.” 

Trini closes her eyes and focuses on herself. As soon as she’s in the car with Diana again, she leans in close to her mother.

“Can you swing by Billy’s place to pick up Jason and Billy?” 

“Of course. Tell me how to get there, little one.” 

Trini turns to look at Kimberly, who looks at her with a trembling bottom lip.

“Come here…” Trini opens her arms as Kimberly bites back a sob and curls up into Trini’s arms.

“She’s gonna be okay.” Trini whispers, brushing her fingers through Kimberly’s hair gently, and Kimberly simply whines and kisses her neck softly. 

Trini tells Diana where to go, and as soon as they’re outside Billy’s house, Trini’s surprised to be see Jason and Billy running toward Diana’s car.

And Candace Cranston is behind them, a saddened expression on her face as she makes her way toward the car.

Diana looks back at Trini.

“Stay here.” She unclips her seatbelt and steps out of the car, and Trini rolls down the window as Jason jumps into the seat beside Kimberly.

“I was sleeping over, Billy and I got woken up at the same time as you. He had his Coin turned off, the second he turned it on-.”

“We got flooded with his emotions.” Kimberly croaks out, and Jason nods.

Trini watches as Diana comes to a stop in front of Candace with a soft smile.

“Hi. I’m Diana Prince, Trini’s mother.” She extends a hand, and Candace takes it with a smile.

“Candace Cranston, Billy’s mother. It’s nice to finally meet you, I’m sorry it’s under such sad circumstances.” Candace sighs, and Diana nods once.

“I’ll look after them. If you want Billy home at any point, I’ll bring him home.”

“No, he should stay with Zack as long as he needs him…I’m just glad a parent will be there with them. Thank you, Diana.”

“Of course. I’ll see you later.” 

“See you. Call me if you need me, Billy. And hug Zack for me.” 

“I will, ma.” Candace ruffles Billy’s hair with a warm smile as Billy and Diana make their way toward the car, Diana getting into the driver’s seat as Billy hops into the passenger seat.

“She’s gonna be okay, right, Jason?” Billy says, turning to look at the Red Ranger, who sighs.

“I hope so, Billy. I really hope so.” 

They get to the Hospital in record time, and Trini’s jumping out of the car before Diana even puts it into park, Kimberly still gripping her hand and jumping out with her.

As soon as they’re through the Hospital doors, Trini looks around wildly for Zack, and spots him at the reception desk.

“Zack!”

He spins around, and as soon as he sees the others, he immediately breaks down, tears falling down his face as Trini jumps into his arms and hugs him close.

“Zack, shh, breathe…” She whispers. Zack shakes his head.

“She…she just had trouble b-breathing all of a sudden-.”

He buries his head into Trini’s shoulder, crying loudly against her as the others join in on the hug, all five of them wrapped in each other’s embrace. 

“It’s gonna be okay, shh…” Trini rubs his back gently, and Zack exhales loudly before pulling away.

“I…”

“Zack?” Zack looks up at Diana, who has tears in her eyes as she reaches out for him, and his bottom trembles as Diana pulls him into a hug, sighing as she runs her fingers through his hair.

“Where is she?”

“I-I don’t know…they said they’ll tell me any news as soon as they have some.” He says hoarsely.

“Come on, let’s sit.” Diana says with a sigh. Diana leads the five of them to seats at the far left corner of the waiting room. 

Zack doesn’t sit down though, can’t seem to sit still as he paces back and forth, and Trini sighs and curls up against Diana, who presses a kiss to her hair.

“It’s going to be okay…” She whispers. Trini simply nods as Kimberly lifts her legs and places them in her lap with a sigh, her hands rubbing warmth into Trini’s legs. 

Jason rubs his eyes tiredly, and Billy watches Zack pace back and forth, his eyes following Zack’s feet with a frown.

An hour passes in silence, Zack continuing to pace, Diana continuing to hug the others close to her before Trini sits up and stretches with a groan before looking at the others.

“I’m gonna go get Zack some water. Do you want some?” Trini asks Diana and the others softly. Diana shakes her head, but reaches into her bag and pulls out her wallet before handing money to Trini. 

“Get some for everyone.” She says with a smile. Trini takes the money off her with a smile, turns to Zack, who looks at her and swallows the lump in his throat before he continues pacing.

“Keep breathing, okay?” She says, touching his shoulder, and he simply nods, continues pacing as he grips his hair.

Trini makes her way out of the waiting room and down the left hallway to the vending machine filled with drinks, her stomach twisting at the fact that they haven’t heard anything yet about Zack’s mother.

But she stops short when she sees a familiar bright green jacket exit a room.

“Tommy?” 

Trini’s in shock, looking at Tommy with wide eyes, and Tommy looks up at Trini in confusion before she hastily turns, closing the door softly behind her and rubbing the tears that are very clearly falling down her face away with a sniffle before turning to look back at Trini with a watery smile.

“H-Hey. What are you doing here?” She asks hoarsely.

“I…what are you doing here?” Trini asks instead. Tommy hesitates, and Trini sighs.

“Tommy…is everything okay?” She asks softly. Tommy bites down on her trembling lip, turns and looks into the room she just exited before letting out a shaky breath.

“Come here.” She says softly, waving Trini forward.

Trini hesitates, looks behind her at the waiting room around the corner before walking forward.

Tommy points through the window into the room inside, and Trini looks through it.

There’s a woman sitting beside a hospital bed fast asleep, her head resting in the lap of a young girl in the bed who’s also fast asleep.

But the young girl looks sickly…her skin pale and a beanie covering the top of her head, and Trini’s eyes take in the tubes and needles sticking out of the young girl’s body.

Her heart breaks at the sight before her, but Trini can see the similarities in the young girl and the young woman beside her, and it starts to hit her who this girl is when Tommy answers her unasked question for her.

“That’s my sister. Trisha. She’s fourteen…” Tommy whispers. Trini looks at her, feels the tears begin to form in her eyes as her heart pounds against her chest. 

“Tommy…I-I don’t know what to say.” Trini manages to get out, and Tommy smiles sadly.

“There’s nothing to say…she’s sick. She’s sick and I can’t fix her.” Tommy says firmly. 

Trini’s not sure how much more she can take tonight…

Tommy’s sister is sick.

This explains everything. All the times she’d disappear suddenly, why she was hesitant to tell them about her home life…

“This is why you’re hesitating about being a Power Ranger?” Trini asks hoarsely. Tommy sighs.

“I can’t…I don’t…fuck.” Tommy runs a hand through her hair, and Trini reaches out and grips her shoulder. Tommy chokes on a sob, tears falling down her face before she looks up at Trini.

“I can’t leave her, Trini. If I die out there…my mom’s already losing one daughter, and we’ve pretty much already lost my dad. He’s never home, he’s always out doing research and trying to find a way to fix Trisha, but…she can’t be fixed, Trini. I can’t leave my mom, I can’t do that to her-.”

“Shh, it’s okay, I’m sorry, Tommy. I’m so sorry…” Trini pulls her into a hug as Tommy cries against her shoulder, her tears mixing with Zack’s on her shirt, and Trini simply rubs circles into her back, her heart aching for the young girl she’s holding.

She feels like such an idiot for even thinking Tommy could be Rita…

“I want to be a Power Ranger, Trini. I do. But my mom-.”

“I know. I know, shh…” 

God, she has such a good heart…

It’s then that it clicks.

It clicks for Trini that she has seen Tommy before. The day Kimberly and her came to see Amanda's father, Trini had seen a girl being wheeled in with two women standing behind her.

It was Tommy and her mother.

That's why she looked so familiar to Trini when she first saw her, oh god...

It hits her all at once, the realization. The realization that Tommy isn’t Rita. That Tommy could never be Rita.

Rita was vile, evil, the worst of the worst.

But Tommy…

Tommy Oliver is everything opposite. Tommy Oliver is a scared teenager, worried about her struggling mother and father and her dying sister…Tommy Oliver is the glue keeping her family together, and she does it all selflessly.

“You’re amazing, Tommy. You…god, you’re dealing with so much, and then we just added the pressure of being a Power Ranger, I’m so sorry.”  
Tommy pulls away with a soft smile and a shrug.

“It’s okay. I just…I wish I could give her my powers…I feel guilty that I can heal and she can’t-.” Tommy drops her head, rubs her tears away and lets out a sigh of frustration, and Trini sighs, rubs her back gently.

“I know…I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you something to help with your pain, but I just…fuck, I’m sorry.” Trini says hoarsely, and Tommy sniffs, looks back through the window, and Trini can see the heartbreak in her eyes.

And she gasps when she can feel it in her heart as well, the heartbreak and the anguish and the guilt all flooding her at once.

The bond…

Tommy smiles at the image through the window, tears falling down her face.

“She’s a great kid, you know. She’s always smiling, always trying to cheer everyone up. She keeps telling my mom that she’s gonna be okay, keeps trying to m-make us all happy. God, I wish I was half as brave as s-she is…”

“You already are, Tommy.” Trini says with a warm smile. Tommy scoffs, shakes her head, and Trini grips her hand and squeezes it gently.

“The Power Coin wouldn’t have chosen you if you weren’t.” Tommy looks at her, watches her intently.

“Really?” She breathes. Trini smiles and nods.

“Yeah. Zordon gave us the big speech about the Coins choosing us because it was our destiny, but he also said it’s because the Coin saw the qualities of the Power Rangers in us. Bravery and selflessness…if you didn’t have those qualities, the Green Coin never would’ve chosen you.” Tommy frowns, looks back at her sister through the window.

“The Coin came to me the day I saved that girl in the alleyway. I thought I was gonna die…the only thing I could think of was leaving them behind.” 

“Sounds pretty selfless of you.” Trini says with a warm smile. Tommy chuckles under her breath, but then she looks up at Trini with a frown.

“You never told me why you’re here?” She asks. Trini’s heart drops and her eyes widen.

“Shit. Zack.”

“Zack?” Trini rubs her eyes tiredly.

“Yeah, he’s…okay look, Zack’s mom has been sick for a while now, and she got admitted to the hospital tonight.” Tommy looks at her in shock.

“Oh my god…” She breathes.

“Yeah. We’re all here with him, so you don’t have to come if you don’t want the others to know you’re here-.”

“No, it’s okay. He’s my friend, I want to be there for him…” Tommy says, running a hand through her hair, and Trini smiles.

“Okay, just…be gentle with Zack, alright?” Trini says in a rush, and Tommy nods furiously.

“I-fuck yeah, of course.” Trini nods once, leads Tommy down the hallway into the waiting room and around the corner where Zack and the others are waiting.

Zack looks up as she gets closer, and when his eyes land on Tommy, he finally stops pacing.

“Tommy?” He says in surprise. 

“Hey. I bumped into Trini in the hallway, she told me what happened. I’m so sorry, Zack.” Tommy walks forward, and Zack whimpers before he wraps Tommy in a hug, Tommy freezing in shock for a moment before hugging him back.

“I’m glad you’re here, TomGirl.” He whispers. Tommy smiles against him, buries her head into his shoulder for half a second before pulling back.

“How is she?” Tommy asks. Zack lets out a shaky breath.

“They haven’t told me anything yet.” He says roughly. 

“What are you doing here, Tommy?” Jason asks, standing up and making his way toward her as Billy follows behind him.

Tommy looks at Trini in hesitation, and Trini smiles and gives her an encouraging nod.

Tommy sighs and looks at the others just as Kimberly stands and stands next to Trini with a frown of confusion.

“You can tell us anything, Tommy.” She says softly. Tommy smiles and lets out a deep breath.

“My sister…she’s been sick for a long time. She’s here in the Hospital. I was just staying with her overnight with my mom when I saw Trini in the hallway.” 

Kimberly gasps, grips Trini’s hand tightly, and Trini can feel their shock and pain through the bond as Jason immediately steps forward and wraps Tommy into a hug.

“God, I’m so sorry, Tommy.” He says gently. Tommy hugs him back, sighs against him before pulling away.

“It’s okay, she’s…she’s okay for now, let’s focus on Zack’s mom.” She says, and Zack runs his hands through his hair, looks up at the receptionist desk with a sigh of frustration.

“Why aren’t they telling me what’s going on?” He growls.

“They will as soon as they have news, Zack.” Tommy assures him.

“So you’re Tommy Oliver?” Trini jumps at the sound of Diana’s voice, turns to see Diana stand with a warm smile on her face as she extends her hand for Tommy to take.

“I…uh, yeah.” Tommy looks Diana up and down in awe as Diana smiles at Tommy lightly.

“I’m Diana Prince, Trini’s mother.” Tommy’s eyes widen in acknowledgment, and she smiles.

“Oh! Nice to meet you.” She says, shaking her hand. 

“I felt her.” Trini whispers into Kimberly’s ear. Kimberly looks at her with wide eyes.

“Yeah?” She whispers. Trini nods with a smile, and Kimberly presses a kiss to her temple.

“I’m proud of you.” She says softly.

“Family of Kelly Taylor?” They all whip around, all of them looking toward the source of the voice, and Zack runs forward.

“Yeah, me, I’m her son, Zack!” Zack calls out, and the Doctor looks up at him.

And then he smiles.

“I’m Doctor Isaacs, your mother is doing well, Zack. She told us she just recently came off her medication, that might’ve caused the issues with her lungs. We’re looking further into it, but for now, she’s doing okay. We’d like to keep her here for a few days to keep an eye on her-.”

“I…we don’t have any money-.”

“Keep her here for as long as you need to. I can pay.” Diana says immediately, and Zack turns to look at her in shock.

“Diana-.”

“Don’t bother arguing with me, Zack. Can he see her?” Diana asks Doctor Isaacs.

“Of course. She’s gonna be a little groggy, but she’s been asking for you.” Zack lets out a cry of relief, and Trini grips his hand.

“Go see her.” She says, but Zack shakes his head and looks at all of them.

“Come with me?” He asks hoarsely, and they all nod.

“Of course.” 

Doctor Isaacs leads them into the ICU ward, and as soon as they’re outside Zack’s mother’s room, he looks at all of them sternly.

“Two at a time, please. We don’t want to overwhelm her.”

“Of course.” Diana says with a smile. Doctor Isaacs leaves, and Zack opens the door and steps inside before looking back at Diana and Trini.

“Come.” He says, and Diana frowns.

“He said two at a time-.”

“You’re two people. Come on.” Trini sighs, but grips Diana’s hand and looks back at the others, who nod with a smile.

“We’ll come in after.” Kimberly says, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her temple before urging her forward.

“Come on, little one.” Diana says gently, pulling her through the door.

As soon as they enter the room, Trini’s heart breaks.

Zack’s mother is lying in her hospital bed, tubes stuck up her nose and needles in her veins as she looks up at weakly at their entrance, but as soon as her eyes land on her son, she grins widely, seems to gain strength as she adjusts herself in her bed with a wince.

“Zack!”

“Mama!” He runs to her, immediately hugs her as gently as he can, and she runs her fingers through his hair before pressing a kiss to his forehead.

They begin talking in Mandarin, Trini unable to understand them, but Diana watches them with a smile, leans in close to Trini to translate.

“She’s saying she’s happy he’s okay. She’s telling him not to worry.” She murmurs. Zack replies, and Diana translates.

“He said she scared him for a moment. He’s asking her how she’s feeling. She said she’s feeling okay. A bit weak.” Zack looks back at Diana and Trini with a warm smile, and Zack’s mother looks at Trini with a warm smile.

“Mama. This is Trini. And that’s Diana. Trini’s mother.” He says with a fond smile. Diana steps forward, grips Zack’s mother’s hand resting on the hospital bed gently, and she begins talking to her in Mandarin.

Zack’s mother looks at her in shock, then smiles, begins talking back to her as Trini looks at Zack helplessly, and he laughs.

“Diana said she’s happy she’s okay.” They continue talking, and Zack’s mother suddenly begins crying as she grips Diana’s hands and squeezes them, repeating the same thing over and over, and Trini looks at Zack, who swallows down his own tears.

“My-My mom asked Diana if she was the one who was giving me the money to pay for my medication. Diana told her she was, but that she doesn’t mind. My mom’s saying thank you to her. Ma…” Zack says something in Mandarin, and Zack’s mother’s eyes widen before she shakes her head, says something furiously in Mandarin as Diana calms her down and replies.

“I told her Diana said she’s paying for my mom’s hospital visit as well, and my mom doesn’t want her to, said she’s done enough…”

“It’s not a problem, Zack. You know that. Mom has money.” Trini tells him, and Zack sighs.

“I know…but it’s still hard for us to accept help. We’ve been on our own for so long…” 

Diana says something else in Mandarin, and Zack’s mother kisses her hands, repeats what Trini thinks is ‘thank you’ in Mandarin again and again.

“Diana told her she’s willing to take me in while mom’s in here.” Zack says, and Trini smiles, wraps an arm around his neck and hugs him tightly. 

“Of course we are.” Zack smiles, and Diana leans down and hugs Zack’s mother, who hugs her back and continues to say thank you in Mandarin.

As soon as Diana pulls away, she looks up at Trini with tears in her eyes.

“Come on, Trini. The others want to see her as well.” Diana says, and Trini nods, pulls away from Zack with a smile before following Diana out of the room.

“Zack, you’ll be staying with us, okay?” Diana says, and Zack nods.

“Thank you, Diana.” He whispers, and she smiles as she opens the door.

“Of course.”

Jason and Billy walk in next, both of them hugging Zack before walking toward his mother’s bed, and as soon as the door swings shut behind them, Diana hugs Trini to her tightly, presses a kiss to her hair before cradling her face in her hands.

“She’s going to be alright. We’ll look after her.”

“Mom, I don’t know what to say…thank you.” Trini says softly. Diana smiles, kisses her forehead before resting her chin on top of her head.

“Of course, little one. You know I’d do anything for you. That includes your friends.” Trini pulls away with a smile, and Diana brushes her fingers through her hair. 

“I have to go talk with the people at reception, make sure the payments are coming through to my account.”

“Okay.” Diana smiles at her, and Trini lets her go and turns to Kimberly, who smiles sadly at her.

“How’s she doing?”

“She looks okay…hopefully everything will work out.” 

“I’ll be back.” Diana murmurs, and she makes her way back down the hallway toward the reception area.

“Your mom is great.” Tommy says with a warm smile. 

“She is.” Trini says softly, watching Diana’s retreating figure with a smile. Tommy lets out a deep sigh, looks down at the watch on her wrist and yawns before rubbing her eyes tiredly. 

“I should get back to my sister...I’ll text you guys later, okay?”

“Yeah, no problem.” Kimberly says, and Tommy nods before smiling at Trini.

“Thank you. For everything.” 

“You’re welcome. We’ll see you tomorrow.” Tommy touches her shoulder before she begins following Diana, and Trini looks at Kimberly, who immediately grabs her and pulls her in for a hug.

“God, this has been a hell of a morning.”

“Mmm, and we have detention, too.” 

Trini groans and buries her head into Kimberly’s shoulder.

“Honestly, at this point the only thing pulling me through is you.” She mumbles, and Kimberly laughs and cradles her face, lifting her head to kiss her.

“Is that yet another millionth way of saying ‘I love you’?” She teases, and Trini rolls her eyes, but kisses her again anyway. 

“Shut up, you sap.”


	18. I'll be the one to protect you from your enemies and all your demons (I'll be the one to protect you from a will to survive and a voice of reason)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums" by A Perfect Circle. 
> 
> i'm literally the worst person on planet earth to be leaving you guys with a cliffhanger as big as this when I have no idea when I'm going to be updating next. Some stuff has come up in my personal life (you can read all about it on my tumblr: movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com), so the next chapter could take at least another week and a half to two weeks to go up.  
> I'm also really sorry if there's a lot of grammatical or spelling errors in this chapter, I'm uploading this in a rush.  
> I'm so sorry, guys, I hope you can forgive me. Hopefully I can get the next update after this up soon, but...yeah. I need to priortize the people I love over writing.  
> anyway, comments are appreciated. <3

“Bruce, you can’t be serious about this.” 

Clark’s voice is loud, stern and filled with anger as Diana watches the two stand in front of each other, chests rising and falling with heavy breaths as Bruce bares his teeth.

“I am. I need to do what I have to do to protect Gotham and its people. And that means twenty four hour patrol.”

“You’ve been chasing this lead for months and its lead you nowhere, Bruce. You’ve gotten paranoid!”

“I’m not paranoid, I’m cautious! There’s a difference, Clark!” Bruce barks, his hand curling into a fist as Clark sighs in frustration and runs a hand through his hair.

“The Joker is locked up in Arkham Asylum, and Harley Quinn is voluntarily choosing to stay in Belle Reve in order to stay with the Suicide Squad, despite the fact that she helped us apprehend him. You’ve talked with her multiple times, you’ve forced me to leave Angel Grove and my daughter behind for days at a time to talk to her too, and repeatedly she’s told you she knows nothing. Clark is right, Bruce. You’ve gotten paranoid.” 

Bruce glares at her, eyes filled with rage and betrayal as he shakes his head.

“She’s Harley Quinn, Diana. That woman could lie through a broken jaw! And Trini’s not a child anymore! You need to stop treating her like one, she can look after herself. And not only that, she’s a Power Ranger! Why are you so adamant on sticking by her side all the time?”

Diana feels rage tear through her, and she stands from the couch she’s sitting on, makes her way over to Bruce before Dinah suddenly steps in and rests a hand on her shoulder.

“Whoa, easy, Diana-.”

“Yes, Bruce, she’s a Power Ranger now! But ever since she became one, she’s had two close calls with death! If you think for a second I will put your apparent need to prove to yourself that the Joker is still a threat despite the fact that he is locked up in maximum security above the safety of my daughter, you are highly mistaken!” She growls, and Bruce scoffs in disbelief.

“You’re putting your daughter above the safety of an entire City! We built this team on the grounds that we would do whatever it takes to protect the people of the world. To bring justice to those who attempt to destroy it! You were there, Diana! You helped make this team what it is! And now you’re going to turn your back on it all?”

“She’s my daughter!” Diana cries.

“You’ve lost your touch! You don’t even deserve the title of ‘Wonder Woman’ anymore.” Bruce hisses.

“BRUCE, ENOUGH!” Clark pushes him back with a roar, grabs Diana before she charges toward Bruce, anger and fury blazing through her as Clark uses every ounce of his power to stop her.

“Diana! He-doesn’t mean-it-.” Clark says through gritted teeth, his heels digging into the tiled floor of the Watchtower as Diana tries to push past him.

“I’ve lost my touch?! You’re twenty years past your retirement date, Batman!” Diana screams, and Clark sighs, eventually succeeds in pushing her back and into the training room as Dinah follows them with a smirk on her face.

“Keep her in here, I’ll deal with Bruce.” Clark says with a sigh, and Diana is about to charge after him when Clark slams the door and Dinah stands in front of it.

“Hey, whoa, you’re not gonna hit me now, are you? You actually like me, remember?” Dinah says with a grin, holding her hands up in surrender.

Diana huffs, crosses her arms over her chest and glares at her.

“He had no right to say that!”

“No, he didn’t. But Bruce has been off for a while now, we all know that. He’s getting old and he doesn’t know how to let go of being Batman. He loves Trini, Diana. We all do. You know that.” Dinah says softly.

“That doesn’t give him the right to say those things. He’s…god, why is he so hell bent on this idea that the Joker is planning another attack? The man is locked in a cell twenty feet below ground with no access to him whatsoever! No one can get in and no one can get out! He could pay someone all the money he has to try and bust him out and they’ll fail! But still, he insists that there must be something! He’s tearing this team apart, forcing us to go on patrols of the City and for what? I just…” Diana sighs, runs a hand through her hair as Dinah sighs as well and touches her shoulder.

“I get it, Diana. I do. You’re worried about Trini. She’s your daughter, and you love her. You wanna be with her as much as possible to protect her. But Bruce has some valid points.” Diana’s head snaps up in anger, and Dinah rolls her eyes.

“I’m not saying everything he said is valid, he’s an idiot. But Trini can look after herself, and she’s got four other Rangers by her side-.”

“Five.” Diana grunts. Dinah frowns, and Diana sighs.

“Another Ranger joined their team.” She mumbles. Dinah’s eyes widen.

“Jeez…how many more will they get?” 

“I think there’s only six…I’m not sure, I don’t think even they know for sure. But that’s what I mean, Dinah. So much is happening with her right now, to abandon her just to do some patrolling of a City that isn’t in danger anymore…we brought this team together to fight for truth and justice, yes. But what is the point in bringing us together when there’s no truth or justice to fight for? Gotham is peaceful for the first time in years, and it’s like he can’t accept that.” 

Dinah watches her for a long moment before she sighs and nods slowly.

“Go home, Diana. We’ll deal with Bruce, alright? We’ll get to the bottom of all this paranoia and we’ll figure it out. Just…go look after Trini, okay? You know we want her to be safe just as much as you do.” 

Diana nods once, and Dinah smiles, squeezes her shoulder before walking past her down the hallway into the main center of the Watchtower.

Diana stands still for a moment before she follows her, and as soon as she enters the gigantic main room, the back wall of glass illuminated by the light flooding through it as a full moon hangs high in the night sky of Gotham City, she walks straight toward Barbara Gordon, who slowly moves her wheelchair back away from the multiple computers at her station before spinning it around to face Diana with a smile.

“Hey, Diana. You and Bruce almost got into a scrap back there, huh? I could hear you from in here.” Diana glares at her.

“You and I both know I could kick his-.”

“Yep, definitely.” Barbara says with a low whistle. Diana sighs, smiles tiredly all the same at Barbara, who grimaces as Diana pulls up a chair beside her.

“He’s been like this for a while. I don’t know what’s going on with him. Ever since we got The Joker, it’s like he’s gotten Stockholm syndrome.”

“Can you blame him? How long have you guys been trying to apprehend him?” Barbara’s expression turns stony, and she looks down at the wheelchair she’s bound in before clenching her jaw.

“Too long.” She says simply. Diana reaches out and grips her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as Barbara sighs and looks up at her.

“He’ll come around, I’m sure of it. In the meantime, you should get home to your daughter. How is Trini, by the way?”

“She’s good. She’s been training mostly, with the other Power Rangers.” Diana says.

“Our little Trini…a Power Ranger. Who would’ve thought she’d end up being a superhero?” Barbara says with a grin, and Diana groans.

“Don’t remind me.” She sighs. Barbara chuckles before she smirks.

“Dinah tells me she has a girlfriend.” Barbara says with a grin.

“A girlfriend, huh?” Diana turns in her seat to see Clark making his way toward them, Bruce grumpily following behind him before he barely looks at Diana and makes his way over to Dinah in the corner of the room, quickly picking up conversation with her. Diana glares at his departing figure, and Clark sighs.

“Leave it be, Diana. You’re better than that and you know it.” Diana looks up at Clark, who smiles warmly before raising an eyebrow.

“So…Trini has a girlfriend?” He says, and Diana rolls her eyes.

“I didn’t know you were all so invested in my daughter’s love life.” 

“Oh come on, what’s her name?” Barbara asks, and Diana chuckles.

“Kimberly. She’s one of the Power Rangers as well. She’s…good. Pure hearted…kind of. She’s done some questionable things in the past, but she and Trini are good for each other. They make each other better, happy…that’s all I can ask for.” Diana says with a warm smile, and Barbara chuckles and nods to herself.

“I guess that’s all you can ask for, really.”

“I’m just glad she’s found someone who lifts her up. And I’m glad you’re not chasing her away.” Clark teases, squeezing Diana’s shoulder, and she looks up at him in surprise.

“I’ve never chased Trini’s girlfriends away! Trini just never told me about them.” Diana says with a frown, and Clark laughs loudly.

“Of course she didn’t. What daughter who has Wonder Woman for a mother wants to tell her they have a girlfriend?” He says with a smirk, and Diana rolls her eyes.

“I’m not that bad…” She grumbles. Barbara chuckles.

“No, you’re not. You love her like she’s your own, that’s definitely not a bad thing. Tell her I said hi, yeah?” 

“Yeah, me too. We miss having her around here…remember when she unhooked the cables to the computer when she was six and started crying when you got angry?” Clark says to Barbara with a grin, and Barbara laughs loudly.

“Oh god, she thought I was gonna be so mad at her, but as soon as I found out it was her, I told her it was okay. She was so scared…poor thing.” Barbara says fondly, and Diana chuckles.

“Mm, now she’d probably unhook them again and challenge you to a fight. She’s feisty, my little one. They grow up so fast…” Diana says with a warm smile. Clark grins, gives Diana’s shoulder another squeeze before looking up at Bruce in the corner with Dinah.

“Go home, Diana.” He says simply.

“Yeah, I’ll call you if anything of real importance comes up, okay? You shouldn’t have to drag yourself all the way from Angel Grove every time Bruce wants a patrol around the City done. It’s not fair.” Barbara says. 

“Thank you, Barbara.” Diana says, squeezing her hand gently.

“You’re welcome. See you later, Diana.” Diana stands, makes her way toward the exit as Clark follows behind her.

“Don’t worry about Bruce, I’ll keep an eye on him.” 

“You have your own City to protect, Clark.” Diana says softly, and he sighs.

“I know. I asked Oliver and Dinah to keep an eye on him when I’m not here, I’ve got it covered. Just…go be with Trini.” 

Diana sighs, runs a hand through her hair before nodding.

“I’ll see you around?”

“I’ll swing by for a visit. I have to meet the other Rangers.” Clark says, winking at her with a grin, and Diana chuckles as she sends a quick text message to Trini to let her know she’s coming home before she looks up at the sky and digs her heels into the ground before taking off, the force of the wind stinging her face, but it barely matters.

All that matters is getting home to her little girl.

-

It’s moments like these where Trini feels her life is perfect.

Moments where Kimberly’s naked body is pressed against her own, her nails digging into Trini’s shoulders blades and scratching down her back as Trini pulls every whine and every moan of pleasure out of her body with each stroke of her fingers.

“Trini, fuck…” 

Trini’s teeth drag across the skin of Kimberly’s neck, a hand reaching up to cup her jaw, and Kimberly’s body shakes in her arms as she thrusts down onto Trini’s fingers, loud moans escaping her as Trini rests her forehead against her collarbone.

“Tell me what you need, baby.” She whispers, and Kimberly’s fingers tangle in her hair, tugging slightly to move her head up as she kisses her desperately.

“I’m so close, fuck…I’m so close, faster, please…” 

Her voice is shaking, three pitches higher than normal and trembling, and Trini obeys, can’t think of possibly denying Kimberly of this as her fingers move faster against her, and when Kimberly’s thighs squeeze around her waist, the loudest moan of all escaping her as her nails dig through Trini’s scalp, Trini watches her in awe. The way she bites down on her lip as she whines before her mouth drops open in a moan, the way her eyes squeeze shut, her nose crinkling slightly as sweat drips down her neck, and Trini can’t resist, drags her tongue across the drops of sweat on Kimberly’s neck and chest as she slows her thrusts down, revels in the salty taste before Kimberly collapses against her, and Trini drags her down to lay on top of her, hisses at the pain in her back from staying in an upright position for so long before running her fingers through Kimberly’s hair. Kimberly buries her head into Trini’s shoulder with a soft moan, her body still twitching with the aftershock of her orgasm as her teeth bite down into the skin of Trini’s neck, and Trini holds her close, smiles lazily and presses a kiss to her temple.

“Babe?” She whispers. Kimberly nods against her breathlessly, her nails digging into Trini’s ribs with one last shiver before she presses a kiss to her jaw.

“Oh my god.” She manages to gasp out.

“Good?”

“Mmm, more than good. Fuck…” Trini smiles, tucks a finger under her chin to lift her head so she can kiss her.

“God, I could watch you orgasm for hours…” Trini breathes, and Kimberly chuckles against her, kisses her lips softly before ducking her head down slightly to kiss her neck. She props herself up slightly, and Trini looks into her eyes, sees nothing but love reflected back in them, and she smiles. 

“Why? Do I look weird when I come?” Kimberly asks with a raised eyebrow, and Trini grins. 

“No, you look hot as fuck.” Trini growls playfully, and Kimberly grins wickedly, nips at her bottom lip with her teeth playfully before tapping her nose with her index finger.

“So do you.” Trini feels her cheeks turn bright red as she rolls her eyes.

“No, I don’t.” She mutters.

“Mmm…you look amazing. Your eyes kind of flutter closed, and the muscles in your neck tense up…and the sounds you make, fuck…” Kimberly presses kisses to her neck gently, her hands trailing all over Trini’s naked body, and Trini whines, bites down on her bottom lip and shakes her head.

“We seriously going for round two?” She breathes.

“Why, you still recovering from round one?” Kimberly teases.

“Yes.” Trini whines, and Kimberly laughs.

“I’m down for round two…I’d love to see your ‘O’ face again.” She grins, and Trini rolls her eyes, is about to respond before she’s interrupted by the sound of a phone going off.

“Ugh, mine.” Trini grumbles, her hand fumbling on her bedside table beside her before she grabs her phone as Kimberly digs under the pillow for her own phone. 

_Diana Prince (1)._  
_On my way home, little one._

“Round two’s postponed, babe. Mama Wonder’s on her way back from Gotham.”

Kimberly laughs, and Trini turns to see her looking at her phone, her whole body shaking with laughter.

“What?”

“Look at what Ty sent me on snapchat while we were…you know.” Kimberly says with a grin, and she turns her phone to Trini, who looks at it with a raised eyebrow.

There, on the screen, is a picture of Ty pouting with the caption “I miss you” underneath his face, followed by pink hearts. 

“Wow!” Trini laughs loudly, and Kimberly grips onto her, buries her head into Trini’s stomach as she wheezes with laughter. Trini shakes her head in disbelief. 

“What a dick.” Trini mutters, and Kimberly grins up at her, presses a gentle kiss to her ribs before hovering above her with a grin.

“Wanna reply?” She whispers against her lips, and Trini raises an eyebrow.

“What did you have in mind?” Kimberly grins, gives her a quick peck on the lips before collapsing onto the bed front first beside her and closing her eyes as if she’s asleep.

“Take a photo.” She says. Trini grins.

“Wait.” She grabs her blankets, places them just over Kimberly’s backside so her bare back is exposed, and Trini takes a photo, looks down at it. Kimberly looks genuinely fast asleep, her hair a mess as the final rays from the setting sun filtering in through the window cast a glow on her tan skin, even the sweat that stains her body shining in the glow of orange, and Trini sucks in a breath, finds herself staring at it in awe for a few moments.

How did she get so lucky?

She grins before saving the photo to Kimberly’s phone to send to herself later, then shows it to Kimberly, who grins widely and takes her phone from her hands as Trini curls up against her chest, pressing kisses to her collarbone. Kimberly wraps an arm around her and quickly types a caption to the photo on her phone. 

‘“Sorry man, she’s exhausted, she’s been a little busy fucking her amazing girlfriend, she’ll message you later…maybe.’”

“KIM!”

Trini laughs, tries to stop her from sending it, but Kimberly slaps her hand away, sends it to Ty with a five second timer, and Trini shakes her head in disbelief.

“Unbelievable.” 

Kimberly grins, and Trini gives her a quick kiss before sighing.

“Diana will be home soon.”

“Mmm, wanna shower?”

“Together?”

“Yeah…quicker that way.”

“Yeah, if you behave.”

“Do I ever?”

“You better this time, I’m not having my mom come home to us having sex in the shower.”

“…Fair point.” 

Within half an hour they’re cuddled up in Trini’s bed once more, watching movies on her laptop feeling refreshed and clean, and Trini opens one of the drawers on her bedside table to grab her Power Coin, the Coin instantly sparking to life and shining Yellow brightly the second she makes contact with it. 

“Here.” She hands Kimberly her own Power Coin, smiles fondly as it shines bright Pink when Kimberly touches it, and Trini quickly checks in on the others.

Zack’s emotions are calm, and Trini knows he’s still at the Hospital with his mother. It’s been five days now since she was hospitalized, and Diana had set up payment for her to stay there permanently, much to the delight of the Hospital, but the complete awe and gratitude of Zack and his mom. She’d been doing well at the Hospital, now with the proper care and constant attention that she needed, and Zack had been spending every waking moment out of school or training with her, refusing to stay with Diana and Trini and preferring to sleep at the Hospital by his mother’s side despite her protests.

But Trini can feel his happiness through the bond, contemplates visiting him before deciding against it. She doesn’t want to intrude on whatever’s going on between them.

She touches Jason’s emotions next, feels his happiness, but also the stress behind it that seems to be constantly there, but decides he’s at least not in any danger before moving on to Billy.

As soon as she feels the flood of determination and focus, she knows Billy is working on something important, and she grins to herself, knows visiting him is completely out of the question when he’s this focused on whatever he’s doing.

Trini focuses a little harder, just barely is able to graze Tommy’s emotions before they fade, and she sighs and looks at Kimberly, who frowns.

“You feel Tommy, too?” She asks.

“Mmm…she’s sad.” Trini says. Kimberly nods.

“Yeah, I felt it too for like, half a second…” Trini grabs her phone and opens up the group chat conversation, which they’d recently added Tommy to.

_Go, Go Power Rangers! Group Chat:_

_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Hey Tommy, you alright?_

It takes a few minutes for her to respond, and Trini frowns when her message pops up.

_TomGirl: Yeah, I’m good. Just my sister…how did you know something was up?_  
_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Uh, well…remember the bond we told you about?_  
_TomGirl: Oh, right…jeez, I still gotta figure this whole bond thing out._

Trini grins widely.

They’d told Tommy about the bond the five, now six, of them shared, and Tommy had taken a while to process what exactly they meant.

“So…we can feel each other’s emotions?”

“Yeah?”

“And…visit each other?”

“Yeah.”

“So…we’re like…connected?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s…weird.”

“…Yeah.” 

Tommy had been trying to connect to the bond with little success since. Trini and the others could feel her at random times, but they were often brief moments. So far she’d had no success in connecting to their emotions at all.

_Trini’Fresh’Prince: Sorry, I know it’s weird, I just wanted to check in on you…felt your emotions for a second._  
_TomGirl: I’m okay, promise. My sister’s just not feeling so great…_

Trini frowns, but suddenly, she sees Zack typing a reply.

_ZackTaylorSwift: I’m still at the Hospital, I’ll swing by her room in a second, Tom Girl. Hang in there, okay?_

Trini smiles, is glad that Zack can at least be there for her when Tommy types out a reply.

_TomGirl: I’ll come to you, Zack. See you in a second! Also, still not fond of the nickname._  
_ZackTaylorSwift: Don’t lie, you love it! ;)_

“Zack’s got her.” Trini says to Kimberly, who nods once and wraps her arms around Trini to drag her closer.

“Good. She gets along with Zack the most out of all of us.” 

“Yeah…common ground, I guess.” Trini mutters. Kimberly sighs and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“I love you.” She says softly. Trini smiles.

“I love you, too.” 

The sound of a loud bang has Kimberly jumping, and Trini chuckles and presses a quick kiss to her cheek.

“It’s Diana.”

“Oh.”

The front door opens, and Trini jumps up from her bed and dashes down the stairs, making her way to the front entrance to see Diana walking through with a tired expression on her face that immediately lightens up as Trini jumps from the last step and into her arms.

“Welcome home.” Trini says with a grin, and Diana chuckles and hugs her close before pressing a kiss to her hair.

“I missed you, little one.”

“Missed you, too. How’s Gotham?” Diana winces, pulls back with a sigh and shakes her head.

“It’s fine. Is Kimberly here?” Trini frowns, but doesn’t push the matter as she nods.

“Yeah, she’s upstairs in my room.” Diana raises an eyebrow and Trini rolls her eyes.

“We’re just watching movies.” She says hastily, her cheeks turning red despite herself. Diana chuckles, nods once before kissing her forehead.

“How’s the last two days been?”

“Fine. Tommy’s adjusting to the group really well, but she still hasn’t formed a bond with us yet.” Trini sighs, following Diana into the kitchen as she grabs herself a glass of water.

“Mmm, has she accepted being a Power Ranger yet?”

“Well, we haven’t heard official confirmation from her yet, but she’s been training with us and she talks to us all the time…doesn’t that kinda mean she is one?” Trini says with a frowns, and Diana purses her lips.

“Not necessarily. We’ve never accepted someone into the League without them telling us outright they’ve joined…you should do the same for Tommy.” 

“Right…she hasn’t morphed yet either, and Zordon didn’t consider us Rangers until we morphed...” Trini’s frown only deepens. 

“Trin?” Trini turns at the sound of her name to see Kimberly walking into the kitchen, a smile lighting up her face as soon as she sees Diana.

“Hey!” Diana smiles and opens her arms, and Kimberly hugs her tightly with a warm smile. 

“Are your parents still okay to come over for a chat tomorrow?” Diana asks. Trini’s entire body freezes, her heart dropping.

She’d forgotten about that…

“Yeah, for sure. Let’s just hope no surprise Rangers pop up.” Kimberly mutters, and Diana chuckles.

“I think we’ll be safe. Are you staying over tonight?”

“If you don’t mind…”

“I never do, sweetheart.” 

“Babe? You still okay for tomorrow?” Kimberly asks Trini. Trini sucks in a deep breath, tries to calm her racing heart and nods.

“Yeah. Of course. As long as you’re both there I guess.” Kimberly smiles lightly, walks over and presses a gentle kiss to her lips. 

“It’s gonna be fine.” 

“Your mom doesn’t like me.” Trini grumbles, and Kimberly rolls her eyes.

“She likes you, she just doesn’t like that I’m dating you.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” Trini says with a chuckle, and Kimberly laughs.

“Don’t worry. I’ll talk some sense into them tomorrow.” Diana says, grabbing a tub of ice cream from the freezer before grabbing three spoons from the drawer, and Trini pulls out a seat at the island and sits down on it as Kimberly decides to sit herself on Trini’s lap, Trini’s arms wrapping around her waist before reaching for the spoon that Diana throws down on the counter in front of her. 

“Don’t go all Wonder Woman on them.” Trini mutters, and Diana leans across the counter with a grin, scooping ice cream out of the tub as she raises an eyebrow.

“I won’t. But they should know that being a proper parent means loving your kids and supporting them.”

Kimberly sighs, and Trini presses a kiss to her shoulder blade.

“I just want them to realize that she makes me happy…” Kimberly says, squeezing Trini’s hand, and Diana smiles fondly.

“They will tomorrow. You two have full permission to be yourselves in my home, I’d hate for you to be anything different. Maybe if they get to see the two of you as you are, they’ll finally realize how important you are to each other.” 

“I hope so.” Kimberly says softly. 

“Trini? Kimberly?”

They both jump at the sound of their names, and they turn so to see Zack standing at the dining table, a frown on his face as Jason and Billy suddenly pop up beside him in the blink of an eye.

“What’s going on?” Kimberly asks. Diana frowns, and Trini sighs.

“The boys are here.”

“Is something wrong?” Diana asks. 

“Guys, Tommy’s not doing so great…her sister’s been vomiting all day, and she’s freaking out a little. Can you guys get to the Hospital?” Zack says softly with a frown. 

Trini turns to look at Diana.

“It’s Tommy. Can you drive us to the Hospital?”

“Is everything okay?” Diana asks with wide eyes.

“Yeah, her sister isn’t doing great and she’s freaking out.”

“Of course. Let’s go.” 

“Can she swing by and pick us up?” Jason asks.

“You at Billy’s again?” Kimberly asks with a raised eyebrow.

“He just got to my house.” Billy says. Jason sighs.

“Dad’s being a hard ass again. Can Diana come?”

“Can we swing by Billy’s to get the boys?” Trini asks. Diana simply nods, throws the tub of ice cream back into the freezer and the spoons into the sink as Kimberly and Trini jump up from their seat.

“We’ll be there soon, Zack.”

“I’ll let her know. Thanks guys.”

“Of course. She’s a Ranger. Together-.”

“We are more.” Zack finishes with a grin. Trini grins back, and Kimberly interlaces their fingers as they make their way to the front door behind Diana. 

As soon as they get to Billy’s house, Jason and Billy rush over to the car, Candace waving to them from the front porch with a frown as they jump into the car. 

“Are you guys starting to feel her a bit more?” Jason asks. Trini frowns, focuses on the bond and feels the anxiety and fear that pounds through her from Tommy.

“Shit, yeah.” She says, biting her lip, and Jason sighs.

“Not good.” 

“It’s okay, Zack’s got her for now until we get there.” Kimberly says, squeezing Trini’s hand gently. 

The second they get to the hospital, they find Zack and Tommy outside sitting on a bench against the wall of the Hospital, Zack rubbing Tommy’s back in comfort as Tommy presses the palm of her hands into her eyes, and Diana parks the car as Trini and Kimberly jump out, Jason and Billy not far behind them. 

Tommy looks up as soon as she hears their pounding footsteps, and Trini can see her eyes are bloodshot and puffy as she sniffs and wipes her cheeks before attempting to smile at them.

“Hey guys.”

“Hey, everything okay?” Kimberly asks softly, bending down and resting her hands against Tommy’s knees.

“Yeah, Trisha’s just not doing so great.” Tommy breathes, wiping her tears away again. 

“What’s happened?” Jason asks. Tommy shakes her head.

“Nothing, she just…she had chemo the other day, and sometimes after chemo, she gets sick for a few days…she’ll be okay, it’s just…on top of everything-.”

“You don’t have to explain.” Billy says, offering her a gentle smile, and Tommy closes her eyes and leans back against the bench with a heavy sigh.

“I’m so tired.” She croaks out. Trini sighs as Kimberly rubs her knees sympathetically.

“We’re here for you, okay?” Trini says gently. Tommy simply nods, her eyes still closed as her head falls back and she lets out a deep breath.

“Is everything okay, little one?” Trini turns as Diana walks up to them and grips her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, and Trini reaches up and touches her hand on her shoulder.

“Tommy’s sister just isn’t doing so great.” She whispers. Diana frowns, the crease forming on her brow as she pushes past Trini gently and bends down beside Kimberly, a hand reaching out to grip Tommy’s.

“Tommy, is your mother here?” She asks. Tommy jumps slightly at the sound of a new voice, but opens her eyes and looks down at Diana before biting her lip and nodding.

“Yeah. She’s with my dad and Trisha, my sister…in her room.” 

“How is she doing?” Diana asks. Tommy’s bottom lip trembles as she shakes her head.

“As best as she can I guess…”

“Do you want me to talk to her, darling?” Diana asks softly. Tommy hesitates, then nods slowly as she squeezes Diana’s hand.

“She…she doesn’t have anyone here yet-.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll talk with her, alright? Stay here with your friends, get some fresh air.” 

“Thank you.” Tommy breathes out, and Diana smiles, stands and presses a kiss to Trini’s hair.

“I’ll be back, little one.”

“Okay.” 

She walks away, and Trini sighs, watches her go as Tommy suddenly stands.

“Wait, she doesn’t know what room she’s in-.”

“She can ask the staff, it’s okay. Tommy, she’s right, you need to take a second for yourself…” Zack says softly. 

“I know…” Tommy nods to herself, runs a shaky hand through her hair as Kimberly stands and sits down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“I could really use a cigarette right now.” Tommy says with a chuckle. 

And Zack surprises them all by reaching into his pocket and pulling out a packet and a lighter.

“Zack!” Trini exclaims, and he looks up at her with wide eyes before shrugging.

“What? It relaxes me every once in a while. Besides, Ranger healing.” Trini rolls her eyes as he takes out two and lights one for himself and Tommy before handing it to her.

“Thanks.” She mumbles, taking a puff, and the others simply stare in admonishment for a few moments before Jason sighs.

“We felt you through the bond you know…it’s getting stronger.” He says with a gentle smile. Tommy’s eyes widen.

“Really? I still haven’t felt you guys, though…” She frowns, and Trini shrugs.

“You’ve got a lot on your mind.”

“Actually, now might be a good time to get you to focus on something else.” Billy says, and Jason looks at him for a few moments before he nods and takes Kimberly’s previous position, bending down in front of Tommy and gripping her knees with his hands.

“It’ll be a good distraction…” He says, biting his lip, and Tommy watches him for a few moments before she inhales sharply, takes a final drag from her cigarette before throwing it away and nodding.

“Okay, yeah, let’s try it.” 

“Alright, try and focus. Close your eyes and just focus on your breathing…” Tommy hesitates before she nods once and closes her eyes, breathes in deeply and grips Jason’s hands touching her knees.

“Just keep focusing on your breathing…try and clear your mind.” Jason says softly.

Tommy’s face is filled with focus, her brow slightly furrowed as Jason looks up at Trini.

“Think about Trini.” He says. She raises an eyebrow at him and he winks once before looking back at Tommy.

“Think about what you feel when you think about her.” Tommy suddenly smiles, and nods.

“What do you feel?” Jason asks.

“Happy. She’s a good person. A good friend…I feel safe with her. With all of you.” Tommy says gently. Trini can’t help but smile, and Jason nods once as he squeezes Tommy’s hands. 

“We’re happy to hear that, but focus on Trini for now, okay? Think just about her.” Tommy nods again, her brow furrowing once more, and Trini looks at Kimberly, who looks up at her with a warm smile, and Tommy’s face turns blank before she suddenly gasps and opens her eyes, blinking rapidly before looking up at Trini in shock.

“I felt…I felt something.”

“What? What did you feel?” Jason asks. Tommy grins up at Trini.

“Uh, anxious, but also really happy. Like insanely happy.” Trini grins despite herself, looks at Kimberly and winks at her as Kimberly chuckles.

“Yeah, you were definitely feeling Trini then.” 

“Oh shush.” Trini says sheepishly.

“Why? What does that mean?”

“These two losers are always happy around each other.” Zack says with a roll of his eyes, and Tommy grins.

“So it was you I felt?” She asks Trini.

“I think so.”

“It was brief, but it was definitely something.” Tommy says with excitement, and Trini smiles.

“You did great, Tommy.” Billy says, clapping his hands excitedly. Tommy sighs tiredly.

“I gotta keep practicing.”

“Take your time. There’s no battle that needs fighting, Tommy. Don’t rush the bond, and don’t rush becoming a Power Ranger. Let it happen in it’s own time.” Jason says wisely.  
She nods once before slowly standing, straightening her jacket as she sighs.

“I should get back in there…” Kimberly grips her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Do you want us to come with you?” Tommy smiles, squeezes her hand back and looks at each of them.

“Please?” She asks softly, and Trini smiles.

“Of course. No Ranger left behind.”

They walk toward Tommy’s sister’s room, but just as they’re about to enter it, Trini finds Diana and two other people exiting it, Diana talking to the other two that Trini can only assume is Tommy’s mother and father, a small smile on her face with a slight frown still marring her brow. 

Tommy’s mother is beautiful, her hair cut in a bob similar to Kimberly’s and dark black, contrasting with her green eyes and tan skin beautifully, but when Trini looks at Tommy’s father, she sees the similarities.

Tommy has her father’s eyes, and his nose, the same piercing stare and kindness, but there’s something else in Tommy’s father’s eyes that Trini can’t put her finger on-

“Ah, you kids must be Tommy’s new friends. I’m Ilana. This is my husband, Jake.” Ilana says with a wide smile. Jake simply nods at them.

“Nice meeting all of you. Thank you for making our Tommy feel welcome.” Tommy sighs, walks toward her parents, who envelope her in a hug, and Trini smiles at Diana, who grips her hand.

“How’s Trisha?” Tommy asks. Jake’s smile fades immediately, and Ilana sighs.

“She’s still not doing so great, honey…” Tommy purses her lips, and Diana squeezes Trini’s hand.

“We’ll leave you alone to help your daughter, but please, if there’s ever anything you need…”

“I’ll call. Thank you so much, Diana. It’s nice to have a friend in this new town.” Ilana says softly, and Diana smiles warmly.

“Of course. Anytime.” 

“Thank guys.” Tommy says, smiling at the others, and Trini smiles widely at her.

“Like my mom said. Anytime.” 

-

Trini can feel the stares and the whispers, can feel the eyes on her as Kimberly squeezes her elbow and leans in close to her ear.

“Ignore it.”

“Why are they staring though?” Trini asks softly.

“Three guesses why.” Kimberly growls, nodding down the hallway of Angel Grove High, and Trini’s eyes follow hers to see Ty watching them with a scowl.

Trini’s heart drops.

“Ah shit…maybe we shouldn’t have sent that snapchat.” Trini says with a sigh, and Kimberly shakes her head.

“Who cares?” She growls. Trini smiles despite herself.

“He’s probably spread the rumor that Kimberly Hart is dating a girl…”

“So? It’s not a rumor if it’s true, by the way.” Kimberly says with a chuckle, and Trini laughs loudly.

“They don’t know it’s me though…” She teases, and Kimberly grins.

“Do we keep them guessing?” She growls playfully, and Trini bites down on her lip.

“Mmm…for now. I’d rather focus on dinner tonight with your parents.” Trini frowns, and Kimberly sighs before she grips her hand and pulls her into the girls’ bathroom to the left.

“Kim-.”

Kimberly cuts her off with a passionate kiss, and Trini whines against her as Kimberly tugs on her bottom lip with her teeth before sighing against her.

“Dinner tonight is going to be amazing regardless, because you’re going to be there. I don’t care what my parents say and you know it. So stop. Panicking.” She says sternly, kissing her between the last two words, and Trini sighs.

“I know. I’ll try.”

“Trin-.”

“All I can do is try, babe.” She says weakly with a smile, and Kimberly sighs before nodding.

“Okay. At least you’re willing to try.” Trini laughs, and they’re about to leave when the door opens-

And Amanda walks through, stopping short when she sees them both as her eyes widen.

“Oh, hi!”

“Uh…hey.” Kimberly says awkwardly, and Amanda eyes them both before sighing.

“So the rumors are trumors, huh? Kimberly Hart’s dating Trini Prince.” She says with a smirk, and Kimberly looks at Trini with wide eyes.

“Okay, so maybe they do know it’s you.” Trini sighs, and Amanda chuckles.

“Don’t worry, it’s just rumors because Ty’s got no proof. He apparently hasn’t heard of screenshotting snapchats before. Besides, I think he knows that if he sends a photo of you around, he’ll have Jason Scott and Zack Taylor on him faster than he can send it.” 

“Good he knows.” Trini growls, and Amanda rolls her eyes.

“Easy tiger. Your girlfriend’s safe. Why didn’t you guys tell me though?” She says, crossing her arms over her chest with a raised eyebrow, and Kimberly sighs.

“For this reason. The staring and the whispers. It kind of sucks.”

“Don’t worry, Kimmy. It’ll die down. It did for me.” Amanda says, and Trini feels a rush of guilt through the bond as Kimberly sighs.

“Amanda-.”

“You better not apologize for the hundredth time for what happened, Kimmy. Ty sent those photos not you.” 

“Can I punch him in the face?” Trini says calmly, and Amanda laughs.

“Kimmy already beat you to the punch, remember? She knocked his tooth out.” And Kimberly sighs loudly.

“They put it back!” 

-

“Trini, please breathe…”

“I am breathing.”

Trini runs a hand through her hair, smooths her clothes for the hundredth time as Diana sighs and comes to a stop in front of her to stop her pacing.

“You’re freaking out.”

“I’m not.” Trini lies hastily. Diana rolls her eyes.

“Kimberly will be here with her parents any second now, you need to calm yourself down.”

Trini bites her lip, tries to calm her racing heart as she sighs.

“Mom, last time I was with these people, they exploded at me and Kimberly. I just…I don’t want this to go bad like last time.”

“It won’t.” Diana grips her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze as Trini hesitates.

“Trini, your mom’s right.” Trini jumps slightly, turns to see Jason at her side, smiling at her lightly, and she rolls her eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be at the Hospital with Zack and Tommy?”

“I am at the Hospital with Zack and Tommy. And Billy. I just wanted to check on you.” Jason says with a grin. 

“Shoo fly.” Trini teases, swatting his arm, and he chuckles before wrapping an arm around her neck and ruffling her hair.

“Seriously though. You’ve got your mom by your side now. Don’t focus on impressing Kimberly’s parents. Focus on being there for her.” Trini sighs and nods once.

“I will. I promise.” Jason kisses her hair.

“Who is it? Jason?” Diana asks, and Trini nods as Diana smiles.

“Hi, Jason.” Jason laughs.

“Tell her I said hi. I’ll tell the others to leave you guys alone while Kimberly’s parents are here. I think it’d be a bit harder to explain the bond to them than it was to explain it to Diana.”

“Uh, yeah, just a little, considering they don’t even know we’re Rangers…” Trini mutters. Jason chuckles.

“Good luck, Trin.” And in the blink of an eye, he’s gone.

And as soon as he disappears, there’s knocking at the door.

“Shit.” Trini whimpers.

“Breathe, little one.” Diana says softly, pressing a kiss to her hair, and Trini tries to breathe, to calm her racing heart down as Diana grips her hand tightly.

“Come on. I’m here.”

And just those words seem to calm her down, the words washing over her as Diana leads her to the front door before extending a hand to grip the handle.

She looks back at Trini, who takes a deep breath in and nods.

Diana smiles, and throws the door open.

Andrew and Maddy Hart smile widely as soon as they see Diana, and Trini’s eyes land immediately on Kimberly hiding behind them, her cheeks flushed and an angry look in her eyes that immediately melts away the second she sees Trini.

“Hi, you must be Andrew and Maddy? My name’s Diana Prince, I’m Trini’s mother.” Diana says, immediately extending a hand to shake Andrew’s.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Kimberly’s told us so much about you.”

“Hopefully all good.” Diana says with a smile, and Maddy laughs.

“All very good.” 

Kimberly steps over the threshold, and Diana looks at them before she hastily leads Andrew and Maddy into the kitchen.

“Come in, please, sit in the living room, I’ll grab you some water-.”

Kimberly immediately hugs her tightly as soon as her parents are gone, and Trini sighs, buries her head into Kimberly’s shoulder before pressing a kiss to her neck.

“Come on, babe…” Kimberly sighs, pulls away with a nod and kisses her gently before gripping her hand. 

“We can do this.”

“We can. We’ve dealt with Rita, we can deal with this.” Trini says, and Kimberly groans, but smiles all the same as they walk into the living room.

“So, how long have you and Trini been here for, Diana?”

“About a year and a half now, right, Trini?” Diana says, walking in from the kitchen with glasses of water that she hands to Andrew and Maddy, and Trini nods once.

“Yeah.”

Maddy looks at Kimberly with wide eyes.

“You two have been dating for that long?” She asks, and Kimberly looks at her in confusion.

“What? No, mom, I was with Ty…” Kimberly mutters, looking down at her hands, and Trini grips her hands in her own with a small smile.

“We’ve only been dating for about two and a half months, Mrs. Hart.” Maddy stares at her, and Trini squirms uncomfortably before Andrew clears his throat.

“So uh, Diana! Trini tells us you sell and buy historic artefacts for a living?”

“Mm, I do! We’ve lived in a lot of different locations, my job has me traveling all over the place. But Trini wanted to settle down, and so did I, so she chose a town, and we moved. We’ve been in Angel Grove ever since.”

“Do you have a specific time period you’re interested in?” Andrew asks.

“Most of the stuff I’ve dealt with involves Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. It’s fascinating-.”

“Can I ask you something, Diana?” Maddy asks. Trini feels her heart drop, and Kimberly’s nails suddenly dig into her wrist.

“Of course.” Diana says with a smile.

“Do you approve of their relationship?” Maddy asks, nodding toward Trini and Kimberly.

“Maddy…” Andrew says softly, and Diana looks up at Trini and Kimberly, a certain sadness in her eyes as she smiles.

“I do. I’ve never had a problem with Trini being gay. The way I was raised…it was seen as normal. And Trini…when she’s with Kimberly, everything changes. She becomes her best self. They make each other happy…Kimberly brings so much joy to Trini’s life, I couldn’t possibly fathom not approving of them being together. All that matters to me is Trini’s happiness.” 

“All that matters to me is Kimberly’s happiness, too.” Maddy says with a smile.

“Then you should be happy for them. They make each other happier than you could ever imagine. I see it every day.” Diana says, and Maddy looks at Kimberly with hesitant eyes before she sighs.

“I guess…I’m trying to be okay with it, but it’s difficult. For both of us.” Maddy says, looking at her husband, who sighs and grips her hands.

“We weren’t raised in a society where it’s seen as the norm.” He frowns, and Diana nods once.

“And I understand. But that’s all the more reason to support them. Society will only ever try to bring them down, they need to feel safe and supported and unjudged somewhere. And that somewhere should be the place they call home.” 

Maddy smiles warmly, looks at Kimberly, who looks at her mother with eyes filled with hope.

“Mom, she makes me so happy…” Kimberly whispers, gripping Trini’s hands in her own tightly. 

“I know she does, Kimmy…” Maddy says softly. Trini smiles, looks at Kimberly’s parents.

“Kim’s happiness means so much to me. All I could ever care about is making her happy.” 

Andrew and Maddy exchange looks before Andrew turns to Diana.

“There’s a few things we need to discuss about their relationship.”

“Of course-.”

Trini feels a sudden burst of anxiety and fear rush through the bond, and she hears Kimberly gasp beside her. She turns to look at her, and Kimberly looks at her with wide eyes.

“You felt that?” She murmurs. Trini nods.

In no time, they’re both closing their eyes and focusing on the source.

Jason.

In no time, they’re standing outside the Hospital, Zack pacing up and down and Jason, Billy and Tommy watching him with wide eyes as he grips his hair in frustration.

“Zack, please, calm down!” Jason yells, and Zack glares at him.

“I don’t want to be calm right now, Jason! I don’t get why you won’t even consider it!”

“Do you understand what you’re asking?” Billy says in shock, and Zack rolls his eyes.

“It’s not such a horrible idea, Billy!”

“You’re asking to use the Zeo Crystal when our job is to protect it!” Jason hisses.

“What?” Kimberly yells. Tommy suddenly jumps, turns and sees Kimberly and Trini standing there.

“Whoa! Where did you two come from?” She asks. Jason blinks in shock.

“You can see them?” He says. Tommy frowns.

“Uh, yeah?”

“We’re visiting using the bond.” Trini says, and Tommy’s eyes widen.

“Oh, whoa, really?” She says, and Trini shakes her head.

“I mean, it’s awesome that you can see us, but can we go back to Zack wanting to use the Zeo Crystal? What is going on?” Trini demands.

“Ask him!” Jason growls, glaring at Zack, who glares back at him angrily.

“Why is it such a crazy concept, Jason? We risk our lives to keep that crystal safe, why can’t we use it to help the people we love?” Zack yells.

“It doesn’t work that way, Zack!” Billy cries.

“Why not? I can use the Zeo Crystal to save my mom, Tommy can use it to save her sister, and then we put it back! It’s not a strange concept!”

“Zack, we can’t do that, the Zeo Crystal isn’t supposed to be used for power-.”

“We’re not using it for power, we’re using it to help save people’s lives!” Zack yells over Kimberly, who steps back as he glares at her. 

“Zack, where is this coming from?” Tommy asks in shock.

“It’s coming from me being sick of us not getting what we deserve, which is some fucking reward for saving the world! Twice! My mom deserves to live! Your sister deserves to live!”

“We don’t get to decide that, Zack!” Tommy cries out.

“But we can with the Zeo Crystal! Don’t you get that?” Zack says, excitement gleaming in his eyes. 

“Trini…” Kimberly turns to look at her with fear in her eyes, and Trini hesitates before she nods.

“Try and keep him sane until we get there.” She tells Jason, and he nods once.

“Hurry.” 

They both move back to themselves, and find Andrew and Maddy looking at them with wide eyes.

“Are you two okay?” Andrew asks.

“F-Fine…” Kimberly whimpers out, and Trini looks at Diana, tries to convey her emotions through her eyes, and Diana seems to catch on, because she clears her throat and looks down at her phone.

“Uh, I’m really sorry, I’ve been trying to ignore my phone, but it keeps buzzing, this deal must be huge. Is it okay if we cut this short?” She asks, and Andrew and Maddy stare at her in shock.

“Oh, I…well-.” Andrew starts.

“We just got here.” Maddy blurts out, and Kimberly stands.

“Mom, it’s fine-.”

“We’ve already reorganized this a million times-.”

“Twice, it’s been reorganized twice.” Kimberly says through gritted teeth. 

“I really am sorry, it’s urgent.” Diana says, and Andrew stands with sigh before Maddy glares up at him and stands as well.

“Clearly we’re not wanted here.” She says stiffly.

“That’s not the case at all-.” Diana starts.

“Mom, get out.” Kimberly says calmly, but Trini can feel the rage underneath.

“Excuse me?” Maddy says in shock. 

“Just go, please-.”

“Kimberly, what’s going on?” 

“Diana’s job matters to her and you’re acting like she’s kicking you out!” Kimberly growls.

“She is!”

“Maddy it’s fine, we’ll organize this for another time, Diana.”

“I…thank you.” Before Maddy can say anything, Andrew pretty much drags her to the front entrance, Diana following them until Kimberly grips her hand and shakes her head.

“I’ll get rid of them, get the car ready, we need to go.” She murmurs, and Diana looks at Trini in shock.

“What’s going on?” Diana asks.

“Zack’s lost his mind, he keeps talking about using the Zeo Crystal to save his mother and Tommy’s sister.” Trini says, grabbing her jacket and heading to the front door.

“Wait, what?” 

“I’ll explain on the way, let’s go!”

Andrew and Maddy are arguing with Kimberly loudly in the front lawn, and Trini watches as Kimberly stomps her foot on the ground and Maddy jumps into the car, slamming the door shut angrily as Andrew sighs and drives them away.

Kimberly looks up at Trini, hot tears falling down her face, but she wipes them away and nods.

“We’ve gotta get to the Hospital-.”

“GUYS!” Trini jumps again, sees Billy pop up behind Kimberly as he jumps up and down frantically.

“INCOMING!”

“What-.”

Trini sees a flash of Black and Red before she’s being thrown back into the house, her body slamming through the front door as pain explodes throughout her body, and she groans, hears her name being called as she jumps up as quickly as she can, her mind spinning wildly.

“TRINI!”

Kimberly and Diana are by her side in a heartbeat, and Trini’s vision finally focuses as the dust settles and Jason stands in front of them in his armor, his visor pulled back as he holds a struggling Zack, also in his armor, down to the ground. 

“Didn’t know…where else to bring him!” Jason pants, pinning Zack to the ground just as Billy and Tommy appear at the door, both of them breathless from using their Ranger Powers to get there as fast as possible. 

“Are you okay?” Diana asks Trini, and she nods once, wincing in pain as Tommy looks at Trini and Diana in shock.

“Oh, uh…we can explain-.” She starts saying to Diana before Trini interrupts her.

“My mom knows we’re Power Rangers, don’t worry.” Trini mutters. Tommy’s cheeks flush.

“O-Oh…uh…nice house?” She says sheepishly. Trini rolls her eyes, is about to respond before she’s interrupted. 

“Zack, what the fuck is the matter with you? Why are you saying all of this!?” Kimberly growls, and Zack finally pushes Jason away, both their armor fading as Zack stands up and glares at them angrily.

“You’re all wigging out for nothing! This isn’t a big deal! We just take the Zeo Crystal, use it to heal my mom and Tommy’ sister and then put it back!” 

“We can’t just use the Zeo Crystal, Zack! You sound like Rita!” Trini growls, and Zack’s eyes widen.

“Rita? Are you kidding me?! She was crazy, she wanted to use the Crystal-.”

“To bring her people back! Sound familiar?” Jason says angrily, and Zack shakes his head.

“No, no, that’s stupid, I’m saying we should heal good people who don’t deserve to fucking die-.”

“We can’t play God, Zack! That’s not how this works!” Billy exclaims. 

“We’re not playing God, we’re using the resources we have to save lives! Why are you all so fucking against this!?”

Trini looks at her mother helplessly, her whole body pounding with shock and anxiety.

“He won’t listen to us!” Diana’s simply staring at Zack in what looks like shock, but also recognition, and Zack looks over at them.

“She can’t help us. Or stop us. We should use the Zeo Crystal. You know I’m right, Trin.” 

“Zack, what’s gotten into you?” Trini whispers. Zack growls in frustration.

“What’s so wrong with wanting to save my mom’s life? Save Tommy’s sister’s life? Why are you treating me like an enemy?” He says, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

“Zack, this isn’t like you, you would never suggest this-.”

“Well I am now!”

“Zack…stop, please.” Tommy says hoarsely. She steps forward slowly, tears in her eyes as she shakes her head.

“Zack, I understand…God, I understand better than anyone ever could. I want to save my sister more than anything in the world, and I’d do anything to fix her, but…we can’t save everyone. And we’re not Gods…we don’t get to choose who lives or dies.” 

“But with the Zeo Crystal, we can!” Zack whispers, the same excitement in his eyes. Tommy smiles sadly, her tears finally falling as she steps forward again.

“We’re the Power Rangers, Zack. We protect the Zeo Crystal from falling into the wrong hands...sometimes that means stopping it from falling in the hands of our own.” She says softly.

Zack’s eyes widen.

“You’re gonna fight me, Tommy?” He whispers.

Trini tenses.

“I don’t want to, God, I don’t want to, but if I have to, to protect the Zeo Crystal, I will.” She says hoarsely. 

Trini’s heart is pounding with heartbreak and anger, anger over why Zack is doing this, but she knows what she needs to do.

And God, it kills her.

But she’s a Power Ranger.

And this is her duty.

“Zack, please…please don’t make us do this.” Trini manages to get out, her vision immediately blurring with tears as she steps in line beside Tommy. Zack’s eyes narrow.

“You’re all turning against me?” He hisses.

“We swore to protect the Zeo Crystal, that’s what we’ll do…” Jason says, his voice shaking, but his chin raised high, and Billy and Kimberly fall in line beside Tommy as well, both of them on the verge of tears.

Trini’s heart is pounding wildly.

Zack…Zack’s going to betray them. She thought for so long it would be Tommy, and now it’s Zack…

This isn’t happening, this can’t be happening, no-

Zack grins wickedly, looks at them all before raising his fists.

“Bring it on.”

Trini clenches her fist, prepares to wield her armor, can feel it growing over her skin, and when she looks beside her, the same is happening with Tommy, the green armor melding to her skin as if it’s always been able to do so, and when she looks up just as her visor settles over her face, Zack is in his armor as well, his armor shining as he clenches his fists. 

This can’t be happening, please don’t let this be happening-

“Zack, enough!” Diana’s voice rings out as she runs forward, suddenly grips Zack’s shoulders and looks him in the eyes as his visor lifts up.

“This isn’t you.” 

“It is me!” He growls, trying to fight her off, but Diana’s grip on him is firm, and Tommy, not knowing Diana is Wonder Woman, rushes forward as she pulls back her own visor with ease.

It’s like she’s been a Power Ranger from the start, the way she moves in her armor with such ease…

“Zack, don’t hurt her!” She yells, ripping his arms away from Diana and gripping him tightly.

“Zack, we can’t save everyone! I wish we could but we can’t! Think of your mother, she wouldn’t want you to do this! She wouldn’t want you to betray your friends to keep her alive!” She cries.

“Tommy’s right, Zack! You know she is!” Jason cries out. 

Zack looks at Tommy, his jaw clenching, and Trini can see the fight behind his eyes, the struggle-

“No, I-my mom-.”

“Zack, look at me.” Diana grips his face in her hands, looks deep into his eyes. 

“Zack, let go of those thoughts. Fight them, I know you can.” Zack’s jaw clenches again, and he growls under his breath as he tries to pry Diana’s hands off his face.

“Stop-let go-.”

“Fight it, Zack.” Diana hisses, only tightening her hold, and Trini watches in shock as blood begins to drip from Zack’s nose.

What the fuck is going on?!

“Zack!” They all rush forward, but Diana holds a hand out behind her to stop them, not taking her eyes off Zack.

“Don’t! Stay put! Tommy, keep talking to him.” Diana says.

Trini has no idea what’s going on, can only watch in shock as Tommy looks at Diana in confusion before nodding.

“O-Okay, Zack, you can do this…just breathe, okay? You know your mom wouldn’t want this-.”

He growls, and Jason pulls his visor back and steps forward.

“We’re a team, Zack. You can’t betray your team. Together-.”

“We are more.” Billy, Trini and Kimberly finish. Zack’s eyes move up to Jason, then over to Billy, then finally to Trini and Kimberly, and Trini sees the pain in his eyes before he suddenly trembles violently, and Trini watches as his pupils dilate before his eyes roll in the back of his head and he suddenly collapses forward against Diana, his armor suddenly fading before their very eyes, and Diana holds him upright as he shakes his head and gathers his bearings.

“Whoa…” He croaks out. 

“Zack? Are you alright?” Diana asks him. The others rush forward and gather around him, and Zack looks at them all, looking slightly dazed as he wipes the blood from his nose.

“What just happened?” He asks.

“I don’t know, you tell us, man.” Billy asks breathlessly. 

“I…I’m not even thinking about using the Zeo Crystal anymore…why was I even thinking that in the first place? I don’t know what came over me-.”

Diana suddenly stands straight, closes her eyes and lets out a deep breath.

“No, no, no…” She whispers.

“Mom?” Trini asks softly, and Diana shakes her head, walks away from her and the others as tears spring to her eyes and she grips her hair in frustration.

“Mom-.”

“Just…give me a moment.” Diana breathes.

Trini watches in shock as she collapses onto knees in anguish, pressing her palms into her eyes as she whines, and Tommy grips Trini’s shoulder.

“Is your mom okay?” She asks softly. Trini turns to look at Tommy, sees her in her Green armor, and smiles.

“You morphed.” She says hoarsely. Tommy looks down at herself with a chuckle.

“Uh yeah…looks like I did.” 

“Looks like you’re a true Power Ranger now, kid.” Jason says with a small smile. Tommy smiles at them all, but then her armor begins to fade slowly, and Trini sighs and does the same with her own, Jason and the others following suit.

“Uh…I’m not doing that voluntarily, are you guys?” Tommy asks, watching her fading armor with a pout, and Trini nods.

“We are…don’t worry, you’ll learn how to turn it on and off. It probably came on in the first place because it sensed danger…”

“Yeah, from Zack…” Billy says, and they all look up at him.

“Zack, what happened, seriously?” Kimberly asks.

“I don’t know! There’s so much happening right now…” Zack mutters.

“Why were you talking about using the Zeo Crystal?” Jason asks.

“I don’t know! You know I’d never even remotely think that, but suddenly the thought entered my head and I couldn’t get rid of it…” Zack frowns, wipes the blood away from his nose again.

“Your mom seems to know.” Tommy says, pointing at Diana, who’s still on the ground.

Trini turns to look at Diana, sees her shaking her head and running her hands through her hair.

“Mom?” Trini goes to bend down, but Diana grips her hand, uses her to stand slowly as she looks at Trini in anguish.

“Mom, what’s going on?” Trini asks softly.

And Diana has tears in her eyes that immediately fall as she cradles Trini’s face in her hands.

“I’m so sorry.” She whispers.

“Mom, please…just tell us what’s going on, what happened to Zack?”

And Diana’s bottom lip trembles, her fingers brushing through Trini’s hair as she croaks out her next words, words that sends immediate fear through Trini’s entire body.

“Ares. Ares happened to him.” 

And Trini barely has a moment to process those words when there’s the sound of a loud bang outside their house, all of them jumping in shock as Diana immediately throws Trini behind her body.

“What the fuck was that?” Jason asks, but Trini knows that sound.

It’s the same sound Diana makes when she crash lands in front of their home.

There’s the sound of footsteps, before the sound of a sword clanging to the ground, and Trini looks on in complete shock, not believing the sight before her.

Helena at their doorway, dripping wet with water, blood falling down a wound on the side of her face and her armor covered in scratches and marks as she looks up at Diana breathlessly.

“Helena?” Diana breathes in shock, her whole body tensing against Trini.

“I got here as soon as I could…” Helena gasps out, and then her eyes are rolling in the back of her head, and Diana’s running forward to catch her, lifting her into her arms as Helena looks up at Diana weakly.

Helena’s here, Helena came all the way from Themyscira, she’s injured, she’s hurt, she’s possibly on the verge of death-

“Helena, what is it? What’s wrong?” Diana asks desperately, cradling Helena’s face in her hands.

And for the third time that night, Trini feels fear take a hold of her heart and refuse to let go as Helena utters her next words.

“Themyscira…Themyscira is under attack.”


	19. it's the moment of truth and the moment to lie, the moment to live and the moment to die (the moment to fight, the moment to fight)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "This Is War" by 30 Seconds To Mars. 
> 
> I AM SO SORRY THE UPDATE HAS TAKEN SO LONG.  
> If you've kept up to date with my tumblr, you know what's been going on. I pray you guys can forgive me for how long this has taken! I swear the last chapter for this fic won't take as long to update!  
> with that being said, I hope you guys enjoy this second last chapter! comments are appreciated or you can message me at my tumblr: movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com

She’s been alive for nine hundred years.

Nine hundred years of training, of learning, and growth, of understanding…

Nine hundred years of pain, of heartbreak, of grief, of anguish…

Nine hundred years of love, of warmth, of care, of passion…

But now? 

Nothing.

There are no words to describe what she feels.

There’s nothing she can say. Nothing she can do.

She can’t move, or breathe, or think…

It’s been a hundred years, but the panic is still fresh in her mind. 

She thought it was over...

Everything is making sense now, like blocks falling into place…

Bruce’s behavior for the last few weeks, Zack’s outburst moments ago, Jason’s anger at his father…

Even Trini…Trini’s outburst at those girls, she thought it had been Rita, but it was Ares, God, how did she not see it, how could she be so blind…

“What do you mean Themyscira is under attack?”

“Ares is back? Mom, are you sure?”

“Are you okay, Helena?”

“Wait, who is this woman? What’s going on guys?”

“Diana, we have to go…we have to go home.”

He’s back…he’s back, and she’s missed it. She’s missed it, how could she have missed it-

“Mom…mom, breathe…” 

A warmth spreads through her, a hand touching hers and gripping her fingers tightly, and she knows its Trini, knows it’s her daughter, the only thing that’s ever mattered to her, and Ares knows, he knows, that’s why he’s targeted Zack and Jason, may have even targeted Trini-

“Mom, please…” 

Her voice is shaking, and she knows she’s crying, knows she’s scared, knows there’s nothing she can do to stop her daughter from feeling like this…

“Mom, look at me…” 

A hand touching her jaw. 

When Diana looks down, she sees her daughter, and for the briefest moment, she’s five years old again, touching her mother’s face with a warm smile as her cheeks puff up with a grin, her two front teeth missing as her brown eyes fill with an excitement, a warmth that Diana will forever cherish-

“Mom?”

This voice is too deep…too deep to belong to a five year old-

“Mom, it’s me.” 

She blinks.

Strong, determined, fierce eyes stare back at her, a face filled with light and love.

“Trini…” She doesn’t know what to do, doesn’t know what to think…

“Trini, when you attacked those girls…you said you thought it was Rita influencing you…but you got angry at Kimberly in Themyscira out of nowhere, so long after Rita…”

Trini blinks in confusion, looks at her mother, not quite understanding what she means.

“Jason’s anger at his father for the last few weeks…Zack wanting to use the Zeo Crystal…it all makes sense, Trini...”

Understanding seems to shine in Trini’s eyes, and a small gasp escapes her.

“You think…wait, mom, you think Ares has been influencing all of us?” 

She doesn’t have it in her to tell her she doesn’t think, she knows…she knows it’s true.

“Holy shit, mom…mom, what-.” Trini trails off, and her grip on her mother’s hand tightens.

Everyone is quiet, staring at her, waiting for her to do something…

Bruce’s words suddenly echo in her mind, and she finds herself closing her eyes as the words reverberate in her head…

_“Trini’s not a child anymore! You need to stop treating her like one, she can look after herself!”_

She tangles a hand in Trini’s hair before pulling her close, holding her to her chest and hugging her as tightly as she possibly can, and Trini says nothing, simply hugs her back with as much strength and love as possible as she closes her eyes and breathes in deeply.

Diana Prince needs to fall back.

Wonder Woman needs to take control.

Because god, this might seem hopeless, might seem impossible…

But she won’t go down without trying. 

And they all need her.

Trini needs her. Her little girl needs her...

“I love you, little one.” She whispers.

“I love you, too.” Trini whispers into her collarbone.

She pulls back, brushes her lips against her daughter’s forehead.

And with a clench of her jaw, she looks up at the others.

“What’s happened on Themyscira?” She demands, looking straight at Helena, who winces as she stands straight. 

“Chaos has erupted. I don’t even know how it happened, but Artemis began to revolt against Hippolyta. We tried to talk her down, but then others began to join her…before we knew it, half of the Amazons were on her side, and the other half were defending the Queen…”

“Is she alright?” Diana asks sharply.

“Yes, she’s fine, we’ve managed to seal ourselves inside the Royal Palace, and I snuck out to get to the boats so I could get to you-.”

“It’s Ares, Helena.” Diana says. Helena’s eyes widen, but her jaw clenches.

“Are you sure?” She asks simply.

“Yes.” Diana says without hesitation. Helena hesitates, and then nods.

“We must go, then.” Diana doesn’t respond, begins to make her way up the stairs to grab her gear, and Trini sighs and begins to follow her.

“I’ll come with you-.”

“No.” Diana stops short and shakes her head, and Trini looks at her in shock.

“What? Mom-.” Diana sighs, steps back down and cradles Trini’s face in her hands.

“I know you want to, more than anything. But I need you here. I…I need you to do something for me, Trini.” 

“If you’re going to ask me to stay safe-.” Trini starts angrily, but Diana shakes her head.

“No. I’m going to ask you to do something that frightens me deeply.” Trini frowns, and Diana swallows the lump in her throat.

“I’m going to ask you to be the woman you are. You’re not a little girl anymore. You can look after yourself. And you can defend yourself. So I’m going to ask you to stay strong. I’m going to ask you to look out for your friends, to make sure that they don’t get influenced by Ares again…and then I’m going to ask you to call Clark, and I’m going to ask you to tell him to come here so you can explain to him what’s going on. You’re going to tell him that Bruce has been influenced by Ares as well. Do you understand what I’m saying, Trini?”

Trini simply watches her with wide eyes, and Diana smiles, touches her cheek gently before sighing.

“I’m asking you to join forces with the Justice League, because Ares is back, Trini. And I’m counting on you, all of you, to hold down the fort while I’m gone. I’m asking you to look after each other more than you ever have before.” Diana looks up at the other Power Rangers, watches as they all suddenly stand straight, determined looks on their faces as Jason nods.

“We’ve got Trini’s back, Diana.” Diana nods once, looks down at Trini again.

“I’m trusting you to be the superhero I need you to be, little one.” She whispers. Trini clenches her jaw, wraps a hand around Diana’s wrist and nods.

And Diana can see the hesitation, the debate in her eyes.

“How will I know you’re okay?” She says hoarsely.

“You won’t. But you need to stay focused, Trini. I need you to do this for me.” Trini bites down on her lip, tears in her eyes before she finally nods.

“I can do it. We’ve got it, Mom. You go save Themyscira.” Diana leans in and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Thank you.” Trini nods, and Diana dashes up the stairs, her mind on one thing and one thing only.

Getting to Themyscira. 

-

Trini can’t believe it.

Diana had solved it no time at all, but Trini’s still trying to wrap her mind around what Diana has said. 

Ares has been influencing all of them. For how long? Trini has no idea…

“Uh…Trini?”

Trini watches Diana’s retreating figure up the stairs, and when she hears her name, she turns to see Tommy looking at Helena before looking up at the stairs where Diana has disappeared.

And then it hits Trini that Tommy has no idea what’s going on.

“I…uh…”

“Ah…shit.” Kimberly says, chuckling lightly as she looks at Trini, who sighs.

“Right…Tommy, uh, well…I don’t really know how else to say this, and I’m really sorry we didn’t tell you earlier-.”

Trini doesn’t even get the chance to finish her sentence.

Diana crash lands behind them, jumping over the banister and landing on the ground with her shield and sword in her hand, her armor on and Antiope’s band in her hair, holding her curls back, and Tommy’s eyes widen. 

“No fucking way.” She says hoarsely.

“Uh, well…Wonder Woman’s my mom.” Trini finishes lamely. 

Tommy doesn’t say anything, just stares at Diana in complete shock as she makes her way past them to Helena, who stands straight with a wince as Diana reaches up and cradles her cheek with a hand.

“Are you okay?” Helena sucks in a deep breath and nods.

“I’ll be alright. We have to go, Diana.” Diana nods once and turns back to the others.

“Call Clark.”

“I will.” Trini says hoarsely. 

The panic’s beginning to rise now. 

What if Diana doesn’t return?

“Everything’s going to be okay, little one.” Diana says softly.

But Trini runs forward anyway, wraps her arms around Diana’s waist as she sighs and presses a kiss to her hair. 

“Maybe one of us should go with you, Diana.” Billy says, walking forward with a frown on his face, and Diana shakes her head.

“No. I won’t put you in that danger.”

“But what if something happens here and we need you back, like last time?” Jason says.

“Guys, I think you’re forgetting that Trini collapsed and fell into a mini-coma when she went to Themyscira and visited us.” Kimberly says with a frown.

“So we won’t visit each other the entire time. Only if it’s an emergency and to let Diana know if anything happens here.” Billy says.

“It’s too dangerous.” Diana says immediately.

“Mom-.”

“The Amazons have been training for thousands of years, none of you are a match for them. They’ll slaughter you. Everything is going to be fine, little one.” Diana cradles Trini’s face in her hands.

“I need you here.” She repeats. Trini bites down on her trembling bottom lip. 

“Please be careful.” 

“I will.” Trini sniffs back her tears, and Diana presses another kiss to her forehead.

“Stay safe.” She whispers.

“I will.”

“All of you.” Diana says, looking up at the others.

“We will.” Kimberly says softly. Diana looks down at Trini once more before taking a deep breath in and blinking her tears away before turning to Helena.

“Can you move?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go.” 

Trini watches as Diana looks back at her with a warm smile.

“Everything’s going to be okay, Trini. I promise.”

And before Trini can reply, Diana slings Helena’s arm over her neck and steps outside, taking a few steps before leaping into the air, gravel and rocks crumbling on the ground where her feet dent the concrete.

She feels arms wrap around her waist tightly, and Trini practically melts into Kimberly’s touch, her whole body shaking slightly as she swallows down her tears.

“She’s gonna be okay, Trini.” Kimberly whispers into her ear.

Trini simply nods, closes her eyes as Kimberly presses a kiss to her shoulder. 

“So…your mom is Wonder Woman?” 

Trini sighs and turns to Tommy, who watches her with a raised eyebrow as Kimberly gives her a gentle kiss to her cheek.

“Yeah…we should probably tell you the full story…”

-

It’s silent.

The second Diana and Helena emerge from the water, Diana’s eyes move around the area in caution, her whole body tense and her mind hyperaware of any movement that isn’t Helena beside her.

It’s silent, but it’s eerie.

Diana’s never felt this in Themyscira before.

“Quiet…” Helena whispers behind her, and Diana simply nods, reaching behind her for her shield and her sword as Helena suddenly moves in front of her.

“We need to be as quick and as quiet as possible. We need to get to the Palace.” She says softly. Diana nods again.

“Where are they based?” She asks.

“All over the place.” Helena says with a frown. Diana sighs, but follows Helena nonetheless as she begins making her way up the Cliffside toward the Palace.

“Stay down, Diana.” Helena says softly beside her, and Diana turns to stare at her. 

“Are they likely to attack me?” She asks. Helena winces, and that’s all the answer Diana needs.

And her heart stops, pounding against her chest wildly. 

These people are her friends, her family…

“When I find Ares again…” She growls, and Helena grips her hand, squeezing it gently.

“You won’t face him alone this time.” Diana purses her lips, but doesn’t respond.

She’d rather die than have Ares get anywhere near Helena. Just the fact that he may have influenced Trini and Zack and the others has her on edge, panicked and angry beyond belief…

“Come on, here.” Helena grips her hand tighter, leads her over to a cart and pulls her behind it as she looks around it for anyone who might be nearby.

Diana’s heart catches when she sees Artemis and Acantha walking across the courtyard, both of them gripping the hilts of their swords as they talk. 

“Diana…”

“I’m okay.” She whispers. Helena squeezes her hand with a gentle sigh, and Diana watches as they round the corner, both of them looking up at the Palace with clenched jaws.

“So they haven’t found a way in yet?” Diana whispers. Helena shakes her head.

“Not yet.”

“Has anyone been killed?”

“No. I think there’s a part of them that might be resisting Ares, Diana. It’s why they’re so hesitant to attack, to breach the Palace…” Helena says. Diana processes her words and turns back to face her.

“Where’s your sister?” Diana asks. Helena winces again.

“Inside the Palace, right by Hippolyta’s side. She’s safe…hasn’t been influenced by Ares.”

“Thank the Gods.” Diana breathes, relief flooding her for the first time in hours. 

“But why have the others? He’s never been able to influence us before…” Diana frowns.

“I don’t know…” Helena hesitates with her next words, and Diana can see it in her eyes before she sighs and licks her lips before speaking softly.

“Diana…I don’t want you to feel angry when I suggest this, but…it’s possible you and Trini coming back and leaving so quickly may have weakened the shield around the island…” Helena says softly. 

Diana freezes.

Is it possible?

God, no…

No, this can’t be…she can’t be the reason this is happening right now…

Themyscira has been an island of peace for centuries, and she’s ruined it completely, how could she do this-

“This is my fault…” 

Helena’s hold on her hand suddenly moves up to her bicep, her grip tight, and Diana turns to look at her to see Helena staring at her angrily.

“Don’t. Not even for a single moment. You and Trini coming back to Themyscira was the best thing to happen to us in a hundred years. The best thing to happen to me in a hundred years. I’d risk the shield disappearing altogether to have you back here, Diana…” 

“But I won’t.” Diana says simply. Helena bites her lip, and Diana sighs, watches her for a moment before the decision is made in her mind.

She leans forward, cupping Helena’s cheek with her hand and brushing her lips against Helena’s gently. 

And Helena lets out a soft sigh against her lips before responding, her hand reaching up to grip Diana’s wrist touching her face as she kisses her back before Diana pulls away and rests her forehead against Helena’s breathlessly.

“We stick together no matter what.” 

“Of course. Let’s go.” 

Helena takes charge, walking straight toward the Palace at a crouch as Diana scurries after her, sweat beginning to build on her brow as she follows Helena behind a pillar before they get to the front doors, and Diana thinks they might have done it, might have done the impossible and avoided the Amazons-

Helena knocks on the door lightly.

“It’s Helena! I’m with Diana-.”

“It’s Helena!” Someone across the courtyard yells. Diana spins around, grabbing her shield at her back and raising it just as an arrow comes whistling straight toward them.

It hits her shield, burrowing into the metal with a loud bang as Diana looks down at it in shock, and Helena pushes the door open with a loud yell as Diana stops a second arrow from hitting them with her shield.

“DIANA! IN!” Helena grabs her, throwing her into the Palace as she runs inside and begins to shut the doors as fast as she can.

“Help me!” She yells.

Diana helps her push it shut just as the other Amazons rush forward to help them both before the doors shut loudly and the Amazons place planks of wood over the doors to keep them shut, the sound of frustrated yells echoing on the other side of the door.

“Diana!”

Diana’s heart races at the sound of her mother’s voice, and she turns just as Hippolyta begins rushing toward her, her Aunt Menalippe by her side, relief written all over both their faces as Hippolyta pulls Diana into a bone crushing hug.

“Mother! Are you alright?” Diana asks in a rush, pulling back and gripping Hippolyta tightly as she looks her up and down for any signs of injuries.

“I’m fine, Diana. Are you okay?” Diana nods, smiling as Hippolyta touches her cheek before looking behind Diana. 

“Where’s Trini?”

“Back home. I wasn’t bringing her toward the danger. Mother, it’s-.”

“Ares. I know, Diana. The entire island reeks of his influence.” Hippolyta says with a frown. 

“He’s been influencing Trini as well as her friends.” Hippolyta’s eyes widen.

“He's attacked them?"

"No, he's made them attack each other, almost...they're a strong team though, they managed to fight it, but the fact that he targeted them..." Diana seethes, and Hippolyta clenches her jaw.

"No…” 

“I know…I thought I killed him, but it appears he’s back.” Diana says through gritted teeth.

“Then we’ll kill him again. Together. And this time we will make sure it sticks.” Hippolyta says firmly.

Diana nods, is about to say something when a loud cry interrupts her.

“Helena!”

She looks behind Hippolyta to see a young woman with dark brown hair and light green eyes run forward, a look of pure relief on her face as she runs into Helena’s arms and hugs her tightly.

“Trigona!” Helena sighs in relief, hugging her with a smile as Diana watches them fondly.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Trigona whispers.

“As am I for you, my sister.” Helena whispers. 

“Trigona…thank you for looking after my mother.” Diana says gently. Trigona pulls away from Helena and turns to Diana with a smile.

“Of course. She’s our Queen. How’s your daughter-?”

“We can get to the pleasantries later, Trigona. Right now we need a plan. We need to find a way to break Ares’s hold on the others.” Helena says with a frown.

“How do we do that?” Menalippe asks.

“When did this all begin?” Diana asks.

“The attack began a few days ago, but the revolt began weeks ago. Ever since you left, really. We were all talking about the idea of bridging the connection between the Amazons and the humans. Artemis was against it, and Hippolyta-.”

“I said I would take it under consideration. That was enough to get her angry, apparently.” Hippolyta says.

“It’s Ares. He’s making her angrier than she is-.”

“I know, Diana. But the question is, how did he get to us in the first place? When Zeus created this island, he protected it from any outside influence. How has his power been overthrown?”

“Helena has a theory.” Diana mutters. All eyes quickly turn to Helena, who sighs as she runs a hand through her hair.

“I believe Diana leaving all those years ago, and Menalippe leaving and returning for years to keep an eye on her…I believe it weakened the shield around the island. And Diana and Trini arriving, then us leaving with them and coming back…it’s understandable that the shield would weaken over the years of us moving past it, Hippolyta.” 

It’s silent as people slowly begin to process Helena’s words, and Hippolyta turns to look at Diana.

“It looks like the world may be exposed to us whether we like it or not.” She says wearily. Diana shakes her head.

“No. We’ll find a way to fix the shield. But right now, we need to focus on one problem at a time. And Ares’s hold on the Amazons is more important.” 

“Maybe not.” Helena says suddenly. Diana turns to face her. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Fixing the shield would get rid of Ares’s control, wouldn’t it? It’d force him right out.” 

“But how can we possibly fix the shield? None of us are Gods.” One of the Amazons behind Hippolyta says.

And Diana’s heart pounds against her chest.

“No…but I am.” She says, her posture immediately straightening as the thought enters her mind. Hippolyta’s eyes widen, the realization of what Diana is saying hitting her.

“Diana, do you even know how to fix the shield?” She asks. Diana chuckles nervously.

“No. But I can try.” 

“How?” Helena asks. Diana looks down at the silver braces covering her forearms.

“When I defeated Ares, I used his own power against him…I took his thunder into my bracelets and I blasted it straight through his heart. It destroyed him. If I can do the same to the shield-.”

“What? Destroy it completely?” Menallipe says, blinking in shock. Diana shakes her head.

“No. Use it to strengthen the shield instead.” 

“Do you know how?” Trigona asks. 

“I have an idea…” Diana mutters. Truth is, she’s not exactly sure how she can get the bracelets to channel power into the shield instead of against it, but she knows it’ll have to involve serious concentration on her part…

“The bracelets are yours, Diana. They’re in tune with your mind, your power…they answer to you and you alone.” Hippolyta says encouragingly. Diana nods.

“I’ll need the Amazons off my back, though. I won’t be able to concentrate if they’re attacking me.”

“We can help.” Trigona says, gripping the sword at her side. The other Amazons murmur in agreement, and Hippolyta looks at them all before taking a deep breath in.

“We are not aiming to kill, Amazons. Remember that.” Hippolyta says, suddenly gripping the sword at her hip.

“Wait…I need to find a power source, something to charge the bracelets.” Diana says. The Amazons all look at each other with frowns on their faces, when Trigona suddenly brightens up.

“The plane!” 

“The what?” Diana asks, blinking in shock.

“Steve Trevor’s plane! We pulled it out of the water years ago, decided to keep it as a memorial to the first man to ever enter Themyscira since Zeus.” 

Diana’s heart drops, stopping altogether before it begins pounding painfully against his chest.

“His…Steve’s plane is here?” She whispers hoarsely.

“Yes…can you use it, Diana?” Hippolyta asks. Diana tries her best to focus, but all she can think about it Steve’s plane being here…on Themyscira…

Steve…

A piece of him has been here all along, how could she not return for so long…

“Diana?” Helena’s voice brings her back, and Diana blinks the tears from her eyes and clears her throat.

“I…maybe…the engine inside it may provide the spark I need…but it’s been over a hundred years-.”

“You have to try, Diana.” Helena says softly. Diana nods once.

“Where is it?” She asks Trigona.

“Inside the tower.” Trigona says. Diana turns to look at Hippolyta, who smiles and touches her cheek.

“Run, my child. Run as fast as your legs will carry you…end this nightmare for us all.”

“I will…I promise.” Diana whispers. Hippolyta leans forward, pressing a kiss to Diana’s brow just below her Aunt Antiope’s headband. 

“We can do this, right?” Trigona says. Helena grips her hand.

“Of course we can.” 

“Stick together, all of you. I’ll try my best to get that shield up as soon as possible.” 

“Take Trigona and Helena with you, Diana. You need to be protected too.” Hippolyta says. 

“No. Someone needs to be by your side. Trigona…” Diana says, turning to Helena’s younger sister, who nods.

“I’ll fight by her side, Diana. Helena-.”

“I know. I’ll go with Diana. The rest of you, you do everything in your power to protect the Queen!” Helena yells. The Amazons roar, all of them raising their swords, and Diana feels a rush of pride course through her as Hippolyta raises her chin.

“Are we ready, Amazons?” She calls out. They roar once more, all of them stepping into their defensive positions, and Helena grips Diana’s hand.

“Don’t focus on the fight. We make a straight run for the tower.” Diana nods. 

“Don’t worry about anything else, I have your back, Diana. You just run straight for the tower-.”

“Helena…I trust you. I know you’ll have my back.” Diana says, squeezing her hand. Helena lets out a shaky breath before she nods, and two Amazons step forward and grip the handles of the door, pulling away the wood keeping it shut as they look at Hippolyta.

“Ready yourselves, Amazons. We fight not to kill, but to maim. These are our fellow soldiers out there, gripped by something evil, something they cannot fight. It’s time to get them back.” Hippolyta says through gritted teeth. The Amazons all cry out in agreement, and Hippolyta looks toward the doors.

“One…Two…”

Diana grips the sword at her back, pulling it from the sheath as she tightens her grip on her sword, and the only thought that enters her mind is getting back to her daughter.

Getting back to Trini. 

Getting back home.

“Three!”

-

“So…the God that your mother killed all those years ago…is back?”

“Yep.”

“And…he’s influencing Bruce?”

“Yep.”

Clark blinks slowly, removes his glasses and cleans them on his shirt before lifting them back onto his face, and Trini cocks an eyebrow as she smirks.

“Was that necessary?”

Clark sighs wearily.

“It makes sense, you know, but…God, how do we even begin to stop this guy? Especially without Diana here?”

“We don’t. I say we don’t make a move until she comes back.” Trini says. Clark nods.

“I’m inclined to agree, but what if he attacks first?”

“We don’t even know where this guy is.” Kimberly says with a sigh, running her fingers through her short hair.

Everyone’s gathered in the living room, Kimberly and Trini standing with Clark as Jason, Billy, Zack and Tommy occupy the couches. 

“He might not even be anywhere.” Jason mutters.

“He had a body. Mom said he did…” Trini says with a frown.

“Maybe he’s like Voldemort now. A soul without a body, maybe he’s just running around taking over all our minds and making us fight each other.” Zack says with a light growl. 

“Whatever’s going on…Trini’s right. We shouldn’t attack without Diana here. Diana’s the only one who knows what he’s capable of and how to defeat him. If he attacks us first, we’ll fight, but right now, we stay back.” Clark says with a sigh.

“Sounds good.”

“I should head back to Gotham, let the League know what’s going on with Bruce. He’s been quiet for the last few days-.”

“Probably because Ares has been focused on us.” Zack mutters. Clark purses his lips.

“Are you alright?” He asks Zack. Zack sighs and nods with pursed lips.

“Yeah…I’m just pissed. I’d never betray my team like that…but with just one stray thought, he almost made me do it.” 

“He had an influence in World War One, Zack. He’s more powerful than any of us can handle.” Trini says softly.

“Which is why we all need to work together to stop him.” Clark says firmly. Jason sighs.

“Don’t worry. Despite how scared we are…The Power Rangers have your back.” Clark smiles.

“And the Justice League has yours.” Jason returns his smile and takes a deep breath in before holding his hand out, and Clark takes it, giving it a firm shake before he sighs and looks at Trini with a nod.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Diana would kill me if I don’t keep an eye on all of you while she’s gone. But someone needs to tell the League what’s going on.”

“It’s fine. Go, Clark. We’ll be here.” Trini says. Clark leans in, pressing a quick kiss to her hair before he heads for the door, and as soon as it closes behind him, there’s the telltale sign of Clark flying into the air, almost like a rocket exploding outside their home. 

“So…that was Superman.”

Tommy blinks rapidly, and Trini sighs as she walks over to the newest Ranger and rests a hand on her shoulder.

“This is a lot to process, I know. I’m sorry. We would’ve told you sooner-.”

“But you didn’t know if you could trust me. Right. I get it.” There’s a hint of anger in Tommy’s eyes, and Trini frowns.

“Tommy?”

Tommy looks up at her, brown eyes filled with internal conflict before she grits her teeth and sighs.

“I’m feeling way angrier about this than I feel, and I know it’s Ares, but…” 

Trini’s heart drops.

“Shit. Tommy-.”

“No, I…I got it. I know it’s him, he won’t get to me.” She says firmly, shaking her head as Zack reaches out and grips her shoulder.

“Tommy, you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m good. I’m not pissed, I know I’m not.” She says, nodding repeatedly. 

They all watch her intently, watch the struggle behind her eyes as the muscles in her neck tense, and Tommy runs a shaky hand through her hair before letting out a deep, shaky breath.

“I’m good.” She breathes.

“Yeah?” She nods. 

“Alright, just…Tommy, if you feel something again-.”

“Yeah, I’ll let you know.” Tommy says, her lips quirking in a light smile.

“He might target one of us next.” Kimberly says warily.

“We’ve got each other, that’s what matters. Keep each other centered, just like Tommy just did.” Jason says. They all nod, all of them clenching their jaws and fists as Trini sighs and grips Kimberly’s hand.

“You okay?” Kimberly whispers, rubbing circles into the back of her palm with her thumb.

“Yeah. I’m just stressed about my mom.”

“I know, babe.” Kimberly pulls Trini to her, and Trini buries her head into her chest, sighing as she wraps her arms around her waist.

“She’s gonna be okay.” Kimberly whispers into her ear, wrapping her arms around her neck.

Trini moves her hands underneath Kimberly’s shirt, fingers grazing the skin of her back as she breathes in Kimberly’s scent in an effort to calm herself down.

Kimberly doesn’t say anything, simply presses gentle kisses to her hair as Trini breathes against her. 

“I love you, Trini.” She says softly.

“I love you, too.” Trini mutters against her collarbone. 

The sound of a shrill phone ringing echoes around them, and Trini and Kimberly break apart as they turn to the source of the noise.

Tommy frowns and pulls her phone out of her pocket.

“My mom…” She makes her way into the kitchen, and Zack frowns and follows after her as Jason walks up to Kimberly and Trini with Billy by his side.

“We’ve got this, right?”

Trini sighs.

“He’s been influencing us for weeks. All that anger you had at your dad, me attacking Amanda and Harper…and when I got mad at you when we were in Themyscira…” Trini says, nodding at Kimberly, who frowns.

“Yeah, and me just leaving without talking about it with you…” 

“Shit. How did we not see it before?”

“How are we supposed to know that a Demigod has returned from the dead? I thought at first it might’ve been us just struggling with what happened with Rita, you know?” Billy says with a frown. 

“Man, we’re not equipped to deal with this…Demigods and working with the Justice League…” Kimberly mutters.

“We can do this. We’re only as good as each other. Together we are more, remember?” Jason says firmly. Trini, Billy and Kimberly nod curtly.

“Yeah…”

“GUYS!” 

All of them look up in shock as Zack and Tommy suddenly come barging back into the room, Tommy’s eyes wide and wild as Zack grips her shoulder to calm her.

“Tommy-.”

“We’ve gotta get to the Hospital, now!” Tommy yells, tears welling in her eyes before they fall, and Trini’s heart stops.

“Your sister?” She chokes out. Tommy swallows loudly and shakes her head.

“N-No, my dad, he…my mom said he’s…” Tommy bites down on her trembling bottom lip, and Zack pulls her into a hug as she buries her head into his chest with a loud cry.

“Her mother called, her dad’s flown of the handle, talking about crystals and needing to save Trisha.”

“Fuck, no…” Jason looks back at Trini, who purses her lips before nodding curtly as they say one name at the same time.

“Ares.”

“What do we do? We can’t fight this guy on our own, Jason.” Billy says anxiously. Jason takes a deep breath in, looks at each of the members of his team before exhaling and nodding.

“Trini, call Clark, tell him what’s going on. We’re going to the Hospital. We can’t afford Tommy’s dad hurting anyone there or anyone else in Angel Grove. We’ll hold him off for as long as we can.” 

Fuck, this is really happening…

“Kinda wish your mom was here right now…” Zack says weakly to Trini, but she clenches her fist and shakes her head.

“But she’s not. She asked us to hold down the fort and that’s exactly what we’ll do.” Trini says firmly. 

Her heart is pounding against her chest, and she can feel the fear from the other five Rangers singing through the bond. But she can also feel the support.

The strength.

The bravery.

And with that, she takes a deep breath and nods.

“Let’s get to the Hospital.” 

-

“Diana, keep running!”

Diana doesn’t look back, here’s the sound of grunting and swords clashing behind her, but doesn’t allow herself to worry as she the wind hits her face sharply with how fast she’s running. 

“Go, Diana, go!” She keeps pushing her legs, and the tower comes closer and closer, her whole body throbbing with pain at this point, and she can still hear Helena close behind her, not breaking her stride as she takes down anyone who attempts to stop Diana.

“THE BRIDGE, HELENA!” Diana yells, only looking behind her briefly to see Helena point at the bridge ahead of them.

“Jump it! GO!” Diana grunts and digs her heels into the ground before bending her knees and pushing upwards and forwards, and the wind rushes through her hair as the Tower becomes closer and closer.

As soon as she lands at the front door she throws it open, hears Helena land behind her before the sound of two other sets of footsteps land as well.

Diana holds the door open for Helena, and as soon as she’s through the door, they slam it shut.

The two Amazons chasing them slam against the door with all their might, and Diana grunts as Helena growls under her breath and grips Diana’s bicep before pushing her away from the door lightly. 

“Go! You’ve got this!”

Helena cries out in pain as she slams her shoulder back against the door to stop it from being pounded, and Diana sees the cuts on her body, blood dripping down her arms and the cut on her cheek dripping, and Diana steps forward toward her before Helena shakes her head.

“No! Go! The plane is down the hallway, back and to the left!” 

Diana hesitates. 

If she leaves, Helena will be on her own, and she can’t do that, she can’t. Helena will be on her own, no one to fight with her, and that door won’t hold for long…

“Don’t, Diana! I’ll be fine! GO!” 

“Helena…” 

“You have to save us, Diana! Go!” 

Diana looks at her, memorizes the outlines of her face, teeth bared and tears falling down her face, the muscles in her arms bulging as she pushes against the door…

There’s nothing she can do.

Diana turns her back and runs down the hallway, ignores the sound of wood splintering as she turns around the left corner at the end of the hallway. 

The sooner she gets the shield up, the sooner Helena will be safe. 

As soon as she rounds the corner, she sees an empty room.

And the remains of Steve Trevor’s plane placed in the middle of it, rusted and old and decayed.

Diana freezes.

She can’t move. Her eyes are drawn straight to the seat, still intact, the leather broken and torn in places from the years of drying water remaining inside the leather when it first crashed in Themyscira.

Diana knows she needs to be quick, but her mind can’t seem to process that she needs to hurry. 

She steps forward slowly, the tears falling before she can stop them as she reaches out to the plane.

As soon as her fingers make contact with the metal of the plane, she shudders, her whole body becoming covered in goosebumps within moments.

It’s like she can feel him. 

“Steve…” The name escapes her in a broken whisper, the memories of Steve flooding her mind in a tidal wave. 

Steve’s smile as Diana tried on outfit after outfit at Etta Candy’s request…

The frown in Steve’s eyebrow as he watched Diana yell at him in the hallway before he pulled the lasso from her hip to tell her that he would be taking her to the front line despite the wishes of his army…

The look of awe in his eyes as Diana had touched his face, leaned forward to brush her lips against his ever so gently…

The warmth that courses through her is something she hasn’t felt in a hundred years, and Diana doesn’t know how to process it, only knows she wants to bask in it, live in it for eternity-

But then it’s like Steve’s voice echoes in the back of her mind.

The Amazons need her.

Her daughter needs her.

_“I’m gone, Diana…time to let go…”_

Diana’s eyes close, and she can almost see Steve smiling at her, his blue eyes bright with love.

_“Save your people, so you can go home to our girl.”_

Diana can’t help the sob that escapes her, tears running down her cheeks before she touches the leather of the seat and nods once.

“Goodbye, Steve…” 

His last words echo in her mind, and she repeats them back silently, her heart aching as she takes a deep breath in and moves toward the engine of the plane. 

She pulls off the top of it, the metal creaking against the strain, and Diana looks down at the engine.

It looks battered and old, beyond use to be flown, but as soon as her fingers make contact with the metal, she can feel the energy vibrating from it.

There’s still some juice.

She moves to the controls of the plane, quickly flips the switches and hears the battery stutter before it comes to life.

Diana raises her wrists, looks up at the bracelets of submission as she closes her eyes.

“Don’t fail me now.” She whispers.

She throws her arms down, striking the engine-

There’s an explosion, and Diana is thrown back.

-

“Tommy, slow down!”

Trini jumps out of her car as Tommy practically rips the door of Kimberly’s car open to charge into the Hospital, and Trini hears Kimberly calls her name as they all run toward the Hospital as fast as they can.

“Tommy, slow down!”

“We’ve gotta stop him!”

Trini charges after Tommy as she enters the Hospital, the other five Rangers right behind her as Tommy suddenly stops short so quickly, Trini hits right into the back of her. 

She grunts, stumbles back as Tommy groans loudly.

“Dad?” She whispers.

Trini finally rights herself, shakes her head and focuses to see Tommy looking into the waiting room full of people cowering on the floor, all of them either crying or cuddling close to each other.

And Tommy’s father stands in the center of it all, his whole body sparking with some kind of strange energy as he turns to look at Tommy with a wide smile.

“Tommy! Baby…I’m so happy you’re here!” Jake says breathlessly.

Trini takes him in, horror pounding through her body.

He looks horrible.

His eyes are sunken in, dark around the edges and bloodshot. The energy sparking off him looks almost electrical, blue bolts of what look like lightning pulsing around his body, and Trini grips Tommy’s hand to stop her from rushing forward.

“Slowly…” She whispers. Tommy nods curtly, swallows loudly as she licks her lips.

“Dad…what’s going on?”

“Tommy…I’ve figured it all out, sweetheart…our family is going to be okay again.” 

“Dad…what did you do?”

“Tommy, stay with us.” Zack says softly, and Tommy doesn’t take her eyes off her father, simply nods and grips Trini’s hand tighter.

“Those Power Rangers…they said they’re protecting something that has a lot of power…baby, whatever it is, it can heal Trisha! We can save her, we can save our family!” 

Zack tenses behind Trini, and she turns in time to see Jason grip Zack’s arm tightly.

“Stay with us, man, it’s Ares.” He whispers. Zack clenches his jaw and nods once, and Trini watches as Tommy looks at her father in awe.

“Tommy, it’s Ares.” Kimberly whispers. Tommy shakes her head, looks back at them as Billy suddenly speaks up.

“Tommy, Zack…you gotta stay with us guys, it’s Ares, he’s influencing your Dad, Tommy.”

“I know, I know…” Tommy says hoarsely. Tommy looks back at her father.

“Dad…the Power Rangers said they’re protecting it. It’s too powerful for humans to use, it’s not safe-.”

“Baby, it’s gonna safe your sister! That’s all that matters!” Jake says excitedly. Tommy shakes her head once more.

“No, Dad, it’s…fuck, Dad, Trish wouldn’t want you to do this and you know it!” Tommy cries.

“Tommy, come on! For years we’ve struggled with this, with your sister and her sickness, we can fix it all!”

“Dad, this isn’t you! This…this is someone else influencing you, making you think these things, you’d never hurt anyone and you know it!” Tommy says firmly. Jake’s smile fades as he grits his teeth.

“I’d hurt anyone to save my family!” He hisses. Tommy gasps lightly, and Trini squeezes her hand.

“Tommy…”

“Dad, you know you wouldn’t…you’re a good person, Dad, don’t let him do this to you!” 

Jake doesn’t respond, looks down at his body before he looks back up at Tommy.

“It’s too late, Tommy. We need to get that Crystal, Tommy. We have to save Trisha.”

-

Diana stands slowly, her body throbbing with pain, but when she looks down at her bracelets, they’re sparking with energy.

She’s done it.

Diana lets out a whimper of relief, and when she looks up, the plane almost disintegrates before her eyes, disappearing completely before Diana can stop it, and she bites down on her trembling bottom lip. 

When she hears a loud cry, she snaps back to reality.

Helena needs her.

She runs back down the hallway, pulling her shield up and over her back to hold it in front of her as she sees Helena on the ground, her sword raised to stop Artemis from delivering the killer blow-

Diana roars and throws the shield as fast and as hard as she can, and it connects with Artemis’s head, causing her to fall back with a dull thud as her eyes roll shut.

Acantha looks up at her with a growl, and Diana doesn’t hesitate, strikes her fist forward and connects with Acantha’s face.

Acantha grunts, but before Diana can keep moving forward, Acantha grabs her arm and pulls her back, punching her straight in the face, and Diana avoids hitting her bracelets together, scared to use the energy in them-

“DIANA, GO!” Helena lets out a guttural roar as she tackles Acantha to the ground, and Diana doesn’t hesitate as she runs forward, throwing the door open as she steps outside.

She looks up at the night sky, the stars twinkling above her and the moon casting a silver glow, and Diana takes a deep breath in. 

_“The bracelets are yours, Diana. They’re in tune with your mind, your power…they answer to you and you alone.”_

She focuses all her energy on repairing the shield, on making it whole once more. 

She needs the shield to be whole again. 

She crosses her arms in front of her, lifting them up above her head, and Diana closes her eyes.

And slams the bracelets against each other.

The effect is instantaneous. 

Diana is thrown back once more with the force, but she keeps the bracelets slammed against each other, the sound echoing in her mind and causing her to grit her teeth as the light from the energy of the bracelets brings stinging tears to her eyes. 

Diana forces herself to open her eyes, sees the shield begin to glow around the island like the glass of a snow globe, bright white and blinding, and for a few seconds, it’s as if the sun has taken over the moon, illuminating the island with daylight-

But all so quickly, it fades.

The energy in the bracelets fades, the light dimming down as Diana breathes heavily from her position on the ground. 

But when she looks up, the shield is shining brightly still, barely fading into an opalescent color that’s almost transparent.

And just like that, the sound of battle fades around Diana.

She hears cries of confusion from inside the Tower.

Hears the sound of swords dropping to the ground across the bridge.

“Diana!”

Diana jumps up, rushing straight toward the Tower and as soon as she enters it, she finds Acantha being helped off the ground by Helena, a look of confusion on her face as Helena turns to look at Diana with a bruised and bloody smile.

“You did it.” She breathes hoarsely.

And Diana collapses to her knees, whimpering as she cries out in relief, and Helena runs toward her, collapsing to her knees in front of her and embracing her tightly.

“You did it, Diana.” She whispers. 

“Are you okay?” Diana asks desperately, clinging to Helena tightly, and she inhales sharply before nodding against her shoulder.

“I’m okay. Bruised and battered, but okay.” Diana buries her head into Helena’s shoulder, allowing herself to be weak for just a moment as her lips brush against Helena’s neck.

And Helena says nothing, acknowledges her moment of weakness with a quick kiss to her hair before pulling away from her.

“Come on.” 

She stands, wincing as she does, but gripping Diana’s hands and helping her stand as Acantha walks up to them before bending down beside Artemis.

“What happened to us?” She asks.

“Ares. He’s returned.” Diana says. Acantha’s jaw clenches.

“Where?” She growls.

“I don’t know. All I know is I need your help. As many of the Amazons as possible, I need you to help me protect the humans. Protect my daughter.” Diana says, her voice cracking slightly with emotion at the word ‘daughter’, and Acantha nods.

“Of course.”

“Really? You want us to come back with you? We just repaired the shield, Diana…”

“Don’t worry, I’m going to make it a mission to return to Themyscira at least once a year to repair the shield. But first we need to stop Ares…or there will be no humans to shield Themyscira from.” 

Helena nods, and Acantha finally manages to rouse Artemis to consciousness.

“What’s happened?” Artemis groans, and Acantha chuckles.

“We go from one battle to another, my friend.” She says, gripping her hand and helping her up. Diana smiles before she takes a deep breath and nods.

“Time to see the Queen…and save the world.”

-

“Dad, please…please don’t do this.”

Tommy shakes her head, refusing to believe as her father kisses his teeth and growls lightly.

“How selfish can you be, Tommy?! We can save Trisha! We can cure her of all her sickness! We can help your friend’s mother, too!” He says, pointing at Zack, and it takes Billy, Jason and Kimberly pulling and holding him back to stop him from launching at Tommy’s father.

“ZACK!”

“I KNOW IT’S YOU ARES, YOU SON OF A BITCH, DON’T YOU DARE BRING MY MOTHER INTO THIS!” Zack roars, trying to pull Jason and Billy off him, and Trini tightens her grip on Tommy’s hand.

“You’ve gotta talk him down, Tommy.” She says softly. Tommy looks at her with tears falling down her face.

“How?”

“You know how.” Trini whispers. Tommy’s bottom lip trembles, and she nods before she turns to look at her father.

“Dad…you can’t do this. You can’t go after the Zeo Crystal because…” Tommy lets out a shaky breath.

“Because I’m a Power Ranger. And it’s my sworn duty to protect the Crystal…no matter the cost. So you can’t do this, Dad, because…because you can’t make me choose between my father and my sister.” Tommy croaks out. 

And Jake suddenly stiffens, his expression turning stony as he sighs.

“Oh, Diana…Diana, Diana, Diana…always a thorn in my side…” He says.

Trini’s heart drops.

“What did you say?” She breathes. Jake looks at her.

“Your mother has saved Themyscira a little ahead of schedule.” 

Trini’s heart leaps with relief, and she whines softly as Tommy looks at her in shock.

Her mother’s okay.

Diana made it.

Jake sighs and looks at Tommy.

“I’m sorry, dear. It’s nothing personal. Things just need to be sped up.” 

“What-?”

“There’s the unmistakable sound of a neck snapping. 

Jake goes limp and collapses to the ground, and Tommy screams and runs forward, but Trini grabs her and holds her back tightly, screaming at her that it’s not safe, and within seconds, Jake stands once more-

But it’s not Jake anymore.

His eyes are bright white, no soul, no life left in them, and the smile on his face is cold as he sighs, the electricity cracking around his body only growing stronger.

“Ah…incoming.” 

“TRINI!”

Trini’s grip on Tommy is still tight, but she turns to see Clark, decked out in his Superman gear, crash land in front of the hospital and make his way forward.

“Sorry, Man of Steel, but you’re no match for a God.” Ares growls.

“We’ll see about that.” Clark growls, and Trini watches as his eyes turn bright red just as Ares throws a burst of thunder straight at Clark’s heart. 

The impact is immediate. Trini doesn’t see the result, only sees blinding red and white light before there’s the sound of a bomb going off that echoes around the hospital, followed by the sound of glass shattering all over the place, and Trini doesn’t know what happens, only feels herself get blown back with her arms still around Tommy tightly before the back of her head hits something hard and everything goes black.


	20. a moment, a love, a dream, a laugh (a kiss, a cry, our rights, our wrongs)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "Sweet Disposition" by Tempar Trap. 
> 
> whoaaaaaaaaa, i'm emotional posting this.  
> So...it's over! An entire summer spent writing this story! It's been one hell of a journey, I'm...exhausted, LMAO. But, I'm also so, so, so, so grateful.  
> A lot of crap has gone down during the writing of this fic. I gained a bunch of friends, became part of a group that I've never felt more welcome in, and also went through one of the biggest struggles i've ever gone through in my life.  
> And through near death experiences and crazy meltdowns, you guys have remained.  
> Damn...crazy that we're finally at the end of it.  
> Well, here it is! The final chapter of the Diana/Trini AU! Now don't worry, I'm probably gonna write more Diana/Trini fics, but none to this caliber (seriously, this fic is over 200,000 words and 20 chapters long, goddamn), but keep an eye out!  
> You can also follow my tumblr for updates on what stories I'm working on here: movinggforthesakeofmotion.tumblr.com
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated!  
> Thank you all for sticking with me through this. I love you. And I hope you love this ending. <3

The first thing Trini Prince becomes aware of is the ringing in her ears.

Before the darkness fades, before the feeling comes back into her fingers, her arms, her toes, her legs, her body…

The ringing.

It’s shrill, loud and piercing, almost like a siren constantly whirring in her mind, bouncing between the walls of her brain as the feeling in her body slowly begins to return.

She lifts her shaking hands to her ears, and she can feel the wetness before she pulls them away. 

When she opens her eyes, everything is blurred.

The corners of her eyes are dark, the colors fading in and out and blurring together, but Trini knows something is wrong. 

She can feel the heat of fire, and despite the pounding in her head, Trini forces herself to sit up.

Everything slowly begins to come into focus, her ears beginning to tune in to the sounds around her.

Screaming.

Lots of screaming. 

People are running. 

Some of them are injured, some of them are carrying those that are injured, but all of them are heading straight to the entrance, desperate to get out.

Trini’s eyes focus on her hands, covered in blood, before she looks down at the body beside her.

Tommy.

Trini’s heart drops down to her stomach, bile stagnant in the back of her throat as she reaches out to Tommy with a shaking hand.

“Tommy?” Her voice is quiet, barely audible to her as the ringing turns to complete and total deafness.

She taps into the bond, feels the fear and horror from all the others, the anxiety from Kimberly about Trini, the anguish from Jason, the terror from Zack, the sadness from Billy-

Trini wants nothing more than to find Kimberly, but right now, Tommy’s beside her, unconscious and hurt, and the others are okay, she can feel them through the bond…

She’s still shaking, unable to stop as her heart pounds against her chest painfully every time she tries to draw breath in, her lungs squeezing with each inhale, and she feels Tommy move beneath her hand as she looks up at Trini.

All Trini can see is the giant gash on her forehead, blood falling down the side of her face as she winces before her eyes narrow in confusion.

She says something, but Trini can’t hear it.

And then, Trini’s now focused vision spots the emerging darkness to their left.

Jake Oliver comes to a stop in front of them, bright white eyes wide and grin even wider as he bends down to meet them face to face.

And despite only having met him once, Trini doesn’t see a trace of Jake Oliver in his white eyes.

Trini swallows, and as she does, her ears pop.

And everything hits her at once.

She winces at the sounds of louder screaming, louder pounding footsteps, fire cracking, Tommy groaning in pain beside her-

“Quite the explosion, isn’t it?”

God, he doesn’t even sound like Jake anymore…

“Dad…Dad, stop…” Trini looks down beside her at Tommy, still lying beside her as she reaches out to touch her father’s knee with a shaking hand. Jake sighs, covers Tommy’s hand on his knee tenderly, and Trini thinks maybe, just maybe for a moment, that Jake is still in there-

“Your father is gone, child…to whatever realm you believe exists after death…” 

It’s a mixture of pain and heartbreak that brings the tears to Trini’s eyes, but it isn’t until she hears Tommy’s whine as she grips Jake’s knee tighter that the tears fall down her face in anguish.

“No…no, please…” 

“He was part of a greater plan, my child. You’ll understand…in time.” 

“No…” Tommy’s hand falls from Jake’s knee, her whole body shaking as she groans in pain, and Tommy collapses to the ground. Trini thinks she must be unconscious again, and despite the horrendous amounts of pain she’s in, Trini growls and attempts to push herself up to attack Jake, but it’s useless.

Before she even gets up on her wobbling feet, Jake’s fingers wrap around her throat, nails digging into her skin as she cries out and attempts to alleviate his hold by grabbing his wrist.

Jake lifts her with ease, up off the ground until Trini’s shoes are barely grazing the tiled floor of the Hospital’s waiting room. 

“And you’re the daughter of my murderer.” Jake says softly, pulling Trini closer to him with ease, and all Trini can see is his white eyes as he smirks.

“My dear, dear sister…”

“Ares.” Trini manages to choke out through gritted teeth. 

Ares hums softly, tightens his hold on Trini’s neck, and Trini can feel her lungs beginning to squeeze, can feel the memories she thought would never hurt her again spark to life.

Rita…this is Rita all over again-

“I’m contemplating killing you now…a simple snap of the neck and I dismantle everything. Diana will have no fight left in her, your team will be too distraught…I’ll win without raising my hand higher than this.” Ares squeezes, Trini yelping in pain as tears fall down her cheeks, and he sighs, looks her up and down before shaking his head.

“I’ve never been one to engage in easy battles.” He says simply. 

And with that, he lets Trini go, lets her crumble to the ground as she clutches her throat and gasps for air, choking and spluttering as her whole body trembles, and Ares leans down, tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and grips her chin as she tries to move away from him with no result.

“How…how did you come back?” Trini gasps out. Ares chuckles.

“I’m a God, child. Gods never die.” Trini feels the fear grip her now, and Ares hums, closes his eyes before he looks at Trini fondly. 

“I want to show you what I want, Trini. I want to show you…”

Trini doesn’t know what’s happening, only feels Ares’s grip on her chin tighten before she feels something like a hook pulling her from the hip upwards, and she gasps as everything burns white before Trini finds herself standing in a field.

A field full of fire.

Trini tries to move, but Ares has a tight grip on her shoulders, his hand snaking around to grip her face once more, to force her to watch.

And Trini watches in horror as, a few feet away from them, Diana is held down to the ground by long strips of metal, the screams erupting from her loud and filled with anguish as she watches Ares, not the Ares gripping her shoulders behind her, but a different Ares stood right in front of her, stalk toward a figure in Yellow lying on the ground.

Trini.

“It’s the inevitable future, my dear…” The Ares behind her whispers into her ear.

Trini in real life squirms against him, watches as the Ares from this strange dream pulls the helmet off the dream Trini’s head, sees the blood on dream Trini’s face as she gasps for air, sees dream Diana screaming for dream Ares to stop, begging him-

A bolt of lightning sparks in dream Ares’s hands before it strikes dream Trini through the chest, breaking her armor as she gasps in pain before she goes limp in dream Ares’s arms, and the sounds coming from dream Diana have the real Trini screaming along with her, begging Ares to pull her out of this nightmare-

When she blinks, she’s back in the Hospital, back to reality, surrounded by screaming people as Ares lets go of her, and Trini watches him in complete horror, unable to move, unable to even speak- 

“That’s what I want, Trini…that’s your future…” Ares says softly. 

Trini can only glare at him with as much hatred as possible, can only try to contain her fear, but he barely acknowledges her, his expression distant despite his white eyes blazing with a fire that Trini can’t explain, and it’s like she can see him daydreaming his fantasy again, Trini dying right before Diana’s eyes as Diana screams for her dying daughter…

He stands, and before Trini can stop him, he makes his way toward the exit of the Hospital, calm amidst the running bodies and screams of anguish as firefighters make their way inside the Hospital, some of them stopping to help those that are evacuating…

Trini hears a groan beside her, and she swallows back her tears and looks beside her to see Tommy beginning to move slowly.

Tommy needs her.

Her team needs her.

“Tommy…Tommy…” Trini reaches for her fellow Power Ranger, grips her hand as Tommy groans and looks up at her.

“Trini? Trini-.”

“We gotta get out of here, Tommy.”

“Trini, my Dad…my Dad, he’s dead-.” Trini’s heart breaks at the anguish in her voice, and she bites her trembling bottom lip as she nods.

“I know, I know, Tommy, I’m so sorry, but we have to go-.”

“He’s dead, no…” 

“Tommy, we need you, you’ve gotta keep it together, stay with us…” Trini grips Tommy’s hand, hears her choke on a sob as she inhales a shaky breath before squeezing Trini’s hand back.

“I know…” 

“TRINI!” 

The second Trini hears her voice, she lets out a sob of relief, feels her whole body almost collapse with exhaustion, and before she can even turn to face the love of her life,  
Kimberly Hart is bending down before her, gripping her face in her hands as she cries loudly in relief, and Trini can see the blood on her face, knows she’s injured, can feel the anger that floods her-

“Fuck, Trini, thank god! Baby, we’ve gotta go-.”

“Kim…Kim, Tommy-.” Trini manages to get out, but Kimberly shakes her head.

“Zack’s got her, I promise, come on!” Trini wraps her arms around Kimberly’s neck, buries her head into Kimberly’s shoulder and Kimberly lifts her with ease, scoops her up into her arms bridal style and practically drags her out of the Hospital, grunting with the effort until they’re finally out in the clear air.

“Kimberly, this way!” Trini hears Zack call out.

Trini can see the stars shining above her, can see the smoke emerging from the Hospital as Kimberly leads them far away from the running bodies and the police and firefighters beginning to show up to the scene before she sits down and pulls Trini into her lap.

“Trini, are you hurt?” She whispers, wrapping her arms around her protectively.

Trini shakes her head slowly, winces in pain at the pounding in her head. 

“Not really, are you?” She whispers, looking up, and she lifts a trembling hand to touch the cut above Kimberly’s eyebrow, but Kimberly grips her wrist to stop her.

“No, I’m okay…”

“My sister, Zack…my sister, we’ve gotta get her out-.” Trini’s heart breaks at the emotion in Tommy’s voice, but before she can respond, she hears the sound of pounding footsteps.

“GUYS!” Trini looks up as Jason and Billy run over to them, both of them with cuts and bruises all over them as they pant for air and come to a stop before them.

“Police are evacuating the Hospital through the emergency exits, but we’ve gotta help them!” Billy gasps out. They all look at Jason, who straightens up and exhales loudly before nodding.

“It’s morphing time, guys.” Jason says. Trini has no energy left in her, but she’s not about to quit now. 

She needs to be what Diana asked her to be. A hero.

She nods, grips Kimberly’s hand tightly just as Tommy groans and pushes herself up off the ground.

“Come on!” Tommy jumps up, ignoring her injuries as Trini and Kimberly jump up and grip each other’s hands once more before following Jason around the corner of the Hospital and down to a private space where no one can see them transform.

Within seconds, all of them are tapping into the energy from their Power Coins, and Trini can feel the bond between them all strengthen, can feel herself feeding off the energy off the others as their Ranger armor sparks to life and explodes over their bodies, and it’s once the armor is completely covering her body that Trini realizes she’s missing someone in all of this catastrophe.

“Wait! Clark! Where is he?” She asks desperately just as the visor joins her helmet and ends the transformation completely.

The new found energy the armor sparks within her gives her new life, and she looks around the Hospital desperately for any sign of Clark as Jason curses under his breath.

“Shit…I didn’t pay attention-.”

There’s a loud thud behind them.

“Clearly.”

Trini spins around just as Clark rights himself, wincing as he clutches his chest, where his suit has clearly been burned away, exposing his chest as the burns begin to heal on it, and Trini and Jason run straight to him, Trini slinging one of his arms over her shoulder as he sways slightly with a groan. Trini grunts with the effort of holding him up as Clark sighs.

“Okay…that guy is definitely Doomsday levels of difficult to beat.” Clark moans, setting himself straight as Trini bites her lip.

“Yeah…just don’t die this time.” She mutters. Clark chuckles nervously, and Trini looks at him in hesitation.

If Clark is nervous about this, they’re screwed.

“Clark-.”

“I know…we’ve got to come up with a plan.” Clark says with a frown.

“Ares can’t get his hands on the Zeo Crystal, he’ll destroy the world.” Billy says. Clark frowns, and he’s about to say something when Jason interrupts him.

“Zack, Tommy…you two stay here and help the police and the firefighters evacuate the Hospital. I know you two aren’t going to be able to focus without knowing your family is safe. As soon as everyone’s out, join the fight. The rest of us have gotta stop Ares. We have no choice.”

Everyone is silent for a few moments, and Clark clears his throat.

“That’s…actually a good plan.” He says gruffly.

“Okay, but it’s only going to be four Rangers against this guy-.”

“And me.” Clark mutters.

“Okay, four Rangers and Superman, against a God. Jason, we can’t hope to defeat this guy without Diana.” Kimberly says. 

“Then we have to hold him off until she gets back.” Jason says. The implications behind what he says are evident, but trust Zack to say it out loud.

And he does.

“We might die.” Zack says. 

“Then we die trying.” Trini says simply. Zack sighs, but nods once.

“Alright. Let’s go, Tommy.” Tommy nods once, and Trini looks at her for a moment in her Green armor, the image of Rita still burning in her mind, but it’s different this time.

It’s Tommy in that armor, not Rita.

Tommy, who just lost her father…

“Tommy-.” Tommy shakes her head, lifting a hand to silence Trini. 

“Not now, Trini. I need to stay focused, and I can’t…I can’t-.”

“I know. Go.” Trini says simply, and Trini can’t see her face behind her helmet, only sees her nod as she taps Zack’s chest with the back of her hand, and the both of them jog forward as her and Zack make their way around the corner back into the Hospital. 

“We gotta get to Krispy Kreme.” Kimberly says. Clark blinks in shock.

“I don’t think now’s the time for donuts-.”

“No, it’s where the Crystal is, Clark. Follow us. Maybe not at full speed though, you’re definitely faster than us.” Trini mutters. Clark sighs and nods once.

“Before we go…you got back up coming, right?” Billy says. Clark smiles.

“Don’t worry. They’re on the way.”

-

Diana looks at the Amazons before her, some of them nursing injuries, some of them helping the injured, and the rest huddled around the Queen, all of them yelling over each other in a desperation to have their apologies heard until Hippolyta finally raises a hand to silence them all.

“Amazons! The influence of Ares is evident! None of you are to blame for what has happened. We should all be thankful that Diana was able to raise the shield and block Ares’s influence once more.”

“We should have fought harder…should have realized-.” Artemis starts with a growl, but Hippolyta shakes her head. 

“Ares is cunning and manipulative. I’ll hear no more apologies, none of you have anything to apologize for.”

They all start again, and Hippolyta yells and raises her hand once more.

“ENOUGH! We have more pressing matters! The humans are in trouble, including Diana’s daughter. But all of us cannot pass through the shield. Those who are injured will stay behind-.”

The Amazons begin yelling once more, and one of the Amazons, Io, shakes her head in disbelief as she wraps her injured shoulder with bandages.

“We have been training for battle against Ares our whole lives, my Queen! You can’t exclude us from this battle-.”

“I can and I will! I will not risk the loss of Amazon life by sending injured soldiers to battle! That is final!” Hippolyta barks.

The injured Amazons grumble in disappointment, but none of them would dare defy their Queen, especially after some of them had just attempted to kill her. 

“We can’t take everyone, regardless. For too many of us to jump the skies…it would draw too much attention.” Diana says softly. Hippolyta watches her with a frown.

“How many do you need?”

“Four…maybe five.” Diana says. Hippolyta sighs and nods once.

“I was expecting you to take more-.”

“I can’t, mother. Besides, I have the Justice League, and Trini’s Power Rangers as well. I’ll have enough support to take Ares down once more.” 

“Are you sure, Diana?” 

“I’m sure, mother.” Diana says, and Hippolyta hesitates before she turns to look at Helena with a raised eyebrow.

“I have a feeling asking you to stay won’t work despite your injuries.” She says, and Helena inhales sharply and shakes her head.

“No, my Queen. Where Diana goes, I go.” She says simply. Hippolyta looks at Diana with a smirk, and Diana rolls her eyes.

“Helena-.”

“Don’t you dare, Diana, I am coming with you.” Diana sighs, but doesn’t bother to argue before she turns to Hippolyta.

“Four more Amazons then.” She says with an exhale of breath. Hippolyta chuckles, but turns to look at her Amazons.

But while she observes them, Diana can see her looking at her from the corner of her eye. 

“If I were to join you-.”

“The other Amazons need you, mother. And they need their general too, Aunt Menalippe.” Diana says straight away before Menalippe can even open her mouth. Menalippe sighs, Hippolyta nods, but Diana sees her clench her jaw.

“I grow tired of gaining you only to lose you again-.”

“You won’t. Not anymore.” Diana says quickly. Hippolyta turns to face her, and Diana smiles softly.

“Themyscira needs me just as much as Earth does…the shield needs to be re-energized at least once, or twice a year. You won’t lose me again. I will return, mother.” Diana promises.

And Diana watches as Hippolyta’s shoulders relax, as she sighs in relief before nodding once with a smile.

“Very well, then. Choose who you deem best fit to take on Ares. I cannot choose your soldiers for you, Diana.” 

Diana turns to look at Helena, a silent plea that Helena picks up on immediately. 

She steps forward to stand by Diana’s side, her eyes observing the Amazons before them, all of them watching Diana and Hippolyta while those who are injured stay to the back, still tending to their wounds.

Diana notices Trigona among the injured, and she frowns in concern only to hear Helena chuckle beside her.

“She’s alright…knocked unconscious toward the end of the battle. She’s-.”

“Out. Of course. You won’t be able to focus if she’s part of the battle.” Diana murmurs. Helena nods once.

Helena’s the first to call out, and Diana’s surprised by the name she chooses.

“Artemis.”

Artemis smirks, clenches her jaw and flexes her arms as she steps forward with a respectful nod to Diana before bowing to the Queen.

“I promise to protect your daughter with my life, my Queen.”

“All I want is for you to return home safely, Artemis.” Hippolyta says tenderly, and Artemis nods once before stepping in line behind Helena and Diana.

“Artemis? Even after she tried to kill you?” Diana says from the corner of her mouth. Helena shrugs.

“I think she’d like some revenge. Besides, she’s one of our best fighters.” 

“And one of our biggest…” Diana says, echoing Trini’s first words when she had met Artemis.

A rush of worry for her daughter hits her, and Diana bites her lip and looks at Helena.

“We must hurry, I don’t want to be away from Trini any longer than necessary.” She murmurs, and Helena nods before looking back at the Amazons.

“Egeria, come!” Egeria steps forward, and Diana looks beside her and nods. 

“Penelope…you, too.” Penelope smiles and nods once before stepping forward. 

Diana scans the Amazons once more, and when her eyes land on the last Amazon, she smiles.

She needs one of the most influential people in her training other than Menalippe and Antiope by her side…

“Euboea…it would be an honor to have you by my side.” 

Euboea steps forward.

“And it would be an honor to fight by your side.” She says, bowing her head.

Diana smiles as she steps forward and moves beside the others, and Diana nods once.

“This will do.” The other Amazons grumble, and Diana sighs.

“If I could take all of you I would-.”

“No, we understand, Diana. We just…we hope you return to us safely. All of you. And make sure you get a hit on Ares for each of us.” Acantha growls, and the Amazons roar in support as Diana smiles.

“I will. I promise.” Hippolyta sighs, and Diana turns to look at her as Menalippe touches her shoulder.

“Be careful, Diana.”

“Always.” Menalippe leans in and presses a kiss to her forehead before she moves toward the other Amazons leaving with Diana to say goodbye. Hippolyta looks at Diana with a warm smile.

“Return to me. All of you. And bring my granddaughter with you next time.” 

“I will.” The joking atmosphere dies quickly, and Hippolyta leans in and kisses Diana’s forehead right next to where Menalippe did.

“You’ve defeated him before, my darling. You can defeat him once more. This is what you were born for.” Diana clenches her jaw, feels her heart pound against her chest as she closes her eyes and nods once.

“Give him everything…and leave nothing of him behind.” Hippolyta says passionately, and Diana nods again.

Hippolyta looks at the Amazons behind Diana.

Helena, Euboea, Penelope, Artemis and Egeria.

The strongest, bravest Amazons that Diana knows.

Ones who might die on the battlefield today…

“Protect her. But protect yourselves as well.”

“Yes, my Queen.” They all say, bowing their heads in respect. Hippolyta nods, grips Diana’s shoulder before nodding.

“Go. Bring Ares to his knees and defeat him once more, my child. Save the world, as you have saved it so many times before. Go, Diana…become the warrior you have always been.” 

And Diana grips her mother’s hands tightly, and nods once with as much determination as she can muster.

“I swear on every Amazon, on this beautiful island…on my daughter’s life…I will.”

-

It’s eerily quiet on the streets of Angel Grove.

Trini, Jason, Kimberly and Billy come to an abrupt stop before the Krispy Kreme, all of them panting for breath at the speed and power used to get here as Clark comes to a stop behind them, calm and collected as he looks at the Krispy Kreme with a frown.

“So the Crystal’s in there?”

“Buried underneath it. Very deep underneath it.” Kimberly says with a sigh. Trini can feel the anxiety that comes off her as the memories of the five of them being pushed to the crater beneath them in their Zords floods her, and Trini reaches out and grips her hand before pulling her visor back. 

“We’re okay.” She says simply. Kimberly pulls her visor back as well, bites her lip as she nods slowly before looking at Clark. 

“Should we wait for back up?”

“We can’t afford to wait. The best we can do is what Jason said: hold him off until back up arrives. Whether it’s in the form of Diana or the Justice League…we can’t let him get his hands on that Crystal.” 

Trini nods once and lets out a shaky breath, and Clark smiles softly at her.

“I know you’re all scared, but I’m gonna do everything in my power to make sure you all escape this unharmed.” 

“What about you?” Billy ask, pulling his visor back. Clark chuckles.

“The world’s had Superman for a long time. And now with the Power Rangers, I’m sure it’ll get along fine without him. Besides…I’d rather an immortal alien die than six teenagers who’ve barely lived their lives yet.” Clark says gently. 

The thought of Clark dying has Trini reeling, and she wants nothing more than to rewind the clock, to go back to the time where everything was okay, where their lives weren’t in danger, but the truth is, it’s not their lives anymore.

They’re superheroes.

Time to start acting like it.

“What’s the plan of attack?” Trini asks. Jason sighs as he pulls his visor back.

“God, we should’ve gone to Zordon first-.”

“Zordon can’t help us, Jason. Ares is something he’s never dealt with before. We just have to do the job he gave us. Protect the Zeo Crystal.” Kimberly says. Jason nods once, purses his lips before looking up at the Krispy Kreme.

“I say we do our best to distract him…if he attacks, we fight back, but for now…just distract him from getting to the Crystal, keep him talking. Clark? Any ideas?” 

Clark nods once. 

“I like yours. The five of us can keep him distracted long enough for at least someone to show up.” 

“Do you think we can keep him distracted for long?” Billy says.

“Probably not. Be battle ready the second we step inside.”

“Got it.” 

They’re all about to step forward when Kimberly suddenly reaches out and grips Trini’s hand.

“Wait.”

Trini stops short, lets herself get pulled back toward Kimberly as she looks back at the others.

“Give us a second.”

“Kim, we don’t have time…” Jason starts, but Kimberly glares at him.

“We do. We might die, I need to say this to her.” Jason sighs, and Trini turns to look at him.

“Just a minute, please.” She says softly. Jason purses his lips, but nods once, and Billy, Clark and Jason step closer to the Krispy Kreme to give them their space.

Trini turns back to look at Kimberly just as she lifts her helmet up and off her head before dropping it to the ground. 

Trini hesitates before she does the same, taking her helmet off and dropping it down beside Kimberly’s, and Kimberly smiles and grips her armored hand in her own. 

“I just…I need-.”

Trini doesn’t let her finish.

She surges forward, a hand reaching up to cup Kimberly’s jaw as she kisses her, and Kimberly grips her hips and pulls her flush against her before wrapping her arms around her waist, deepening the kiss as she whines against her before she pulls away and rests her forehead against Trini’s breathlessly.

“Marry me.” She whispers.

Trini freezes against her. 

Her heart stops before it restarts and pounds against her chest almost painfully, and she’s not exactly sure what to do or even say-

“No, wait, not…fuck, not right now or-or any time soon, Trini, just…fuck, I’m sorry, I said it all wrong-.”

“Kim, breathe.” Trini manages to say, despite the fact that she’s struggling to breathe herself, and Kimberly chuckles and bites her bottom lip and nods.

“One day. Promise me you’ll marry me one day.” Kimberly says. 

Trini pauses.

Then smiles.

Because it seems like the stupidest thing in the world to have to promise. 

Trini can’t see herself promising to spend her life with anyone else. 

“Only if you promise me back.” Kimberly pulls back, blinks in shock, and her tears fall before she can stop them.

“Yeah?” 

“Of course…fuck, Kim, I can’t see myself with anyone but you…” Trini says hoarsely, her emotions getting the better of her.

“Good, because when I see my future, all I see is you, Trini.” Kimberly says with a warm smile. Trini leans in, wraps her arms around Kimberly’s waist and presses her head against her chest as Kimberly tucks her chin on top of Trini’s head and hugs her back.

“What else do you see in our future?” Trini mutters. She feels Kimberly chuckle against her.

“Hmm…an amazing wedding, where we’re both glowing…and then an amazing marriage filled with love and support before we both decide to finally settle down and have kids…” 

Trini’s heart expands ten times in size at the image that suddenly pops into her mind.

Kimberly, older and with a few gray strands of hair peppering her raven locks, chasing two young kids, one boy, one girl, around a backyard, all three of them laughing before Kimberly finally tackles them gently to the ground and hugs them tightly to her chest…

She looks up at Kimberly, who cradles her face in her hands and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Kids?”

“Mhmm…” 

“One girl, one boy?” Trini whispers with a smile.

“Hmm. It’s a good balance.” Kimberly says with a smile. Trini lets out a watery sob before she kisses her passionately, and Kimberly kisses her back, brushes the tears away from her cheek as she does before they both pull away.

“I promise.” Kimberly whispers against her lips. Trini smiles.

“I promise, too. I love you, Kimberly Hart. So much.” She whispers back. Kimberly lets out a breathless laugh.

“Thank god, because I love you, too, Trini Prince.” Trini chuckles, kisses her deeply again before she bends down and picks up both their helmets. 

“One day. But first…we gotta save the world.” Trini says, gripping Kimberly’s helmet in her hands before gently placing it over Kimberly’s head. As soon as it’s in place, it clicks back with her armor, and Trini pulls her own helmet over her own head as Kimberly sighs.

“Right.” Trini hears the click of the helmet locking into place, and she squeezes Kimberly’s hand, gives her a quick peck on the lips once more before they both turn to face the others. 

“Ready?” Jason asks with a quirk of his eyebrow.

“Ready.” 

Trini pulls her visor up, watches as her fellow Rangers do the same, and Clark’s the one to step forward and grip the door handle before he looks back at them.

“Stay calm no matter what.” They all nod, and Clark takes a deep breath in before he pushes the door open slowly.

It’s eerily quiet when they step inside, the Krispy Kreme completely empty of absolutely anyone.

Customers, employees…everyone.

Except one.

The second the others walk toward the main tables in the small establishment, they find Ares in Jake Oliver’s body, sitting at one of the tables with a smirk on his face.

“I was wondering when you’d show up.” He says. 

They all watch him warily, and Trini blinks in disbelief when he reaches out and grabs a half-eaten donut from the table in front of him.

He takes a bite, narrows his eyes before nodding, impressed. 

“Hmm...” Is all he says, before he placed the donut back onto the plate and slowly stands.

And Trini finally realizes that he’s not alone.

There’s someone behind him, and the second Trini sees him, her heart breaks. 

Bruce in his Batman gear, a blank look on his face beneath the cowl, and when Trini looks at his feet, she can’t help the gasp that escapes her. 

“No…”

Dinah and Barry, both also decked out in their superhero gear, lay unconscious on the ground in front of him.

Clark inhales sharply, and he’s about to surge forward, but Trini grips his wrist to stop him.

“Clark, don’t! That’s not Bruce. Not anymore.” She whispers. Bruce doesn’t even acknowledge them, and Clark glares at him before his eyes move to Ares, the murderous look on his face only deepening when he does.

“You catch on quickly, Trini…” Ares says with a chuckle. 

Trini immediately tenses, all the Rangers and Clark himself immediately preparing to fight as Ares sighs and looks around the place.

“Where’s Diana?” He asks.

“Probably still cleaning up the mess you left in Themyscira.” Clark says, his voice low and filled with anger and threat as he looks at Bruce in anguish. Ares chuckles.

“I must admit, it’s been hard for many years trying to penetrate that shield…Zeus did a good job of hiding his island full of soldiers. But nonetheless…I managed it.” 

“So that’s been your plan all along? Get to Themyscira?” Trini asks. Ares smiles at her fondly.

“Trini…is that what you want? For me to tell you the plan?” Trini doesn’t reply, contains her anger in her left fist as Ares watches them all before he nods once and sits back down in his seat.

“Fine. If that’s what you want. Besides…this fight doesn’t begin until everyone is here.” There’s a hint of steel in his tone that has shivers running up Trini’s spine, and he extends an arm to the other chairs around the place, as if asking them to sit, and when none of them do, he sighs again. 

“Very well…you’re right, Trini. My intention at first was to simply infiltrate Themyscira. To pass through its walls, influence the Amazons into murder and chaos…watch Themyscira destroy itself from the inside out. But after years of watching Diana, of learning her weaknesses only to find the one weakness she had was you…I realized that you needed to be my next target.” 

Trini doesn’t respond, waits for him to continue, but she can feel Kimberly’s anger, her protectiveness over the bond as Ares sighs, and Trini notices Bruce blink behind him, his expression still emotionless. 

“When you became a Power Ranger…when I learned that you were protecting a powerful crystal…everything fell into place.” 

“And what do you want from the Crystal?” Billy asks. Ares chuckles.

“Whatever it can give me.” 

“You have no idea what that Crystal is capable of.” Kimberly says through gritted teeth.

“Hmm…and it appears neither do you.” Ares says, looking at her with a smile.

“It doesn’t matter. We’re sworn to protect it.” Jason says firmly.

“I’m well aware. You’re all…very strong individuals.”

“Yeah, you’d know that, wouldn’t you? You’ve been influencing all of us for weeks, haven’t you? All that anger I had at my Dad…that was you.” Jason says, the anger in his tone evident, and Ares sighs.

“I didn’t create that anger, Jason…it was already there. I just ignited a flame that was already burning.” 

“You made me hit him! You brought me nothing but pain!” Jason hisses. 

“So did Diana. An eye for an eye.” Ares smirks.

“Then you target me! I’m her daughter, you leave the others alone!” Trini growls. Ares laughs as Kimberly grips Trini’s hand tightly.

“This wasn’t just about getting revenge on Diana, Trini. I had to keep all of you busy…needed to have all of you unhinged. Besides, you truly think Diana doesn’t care for them, too? She’s taken them under her wing…she loves them as much as she loves you.”

“Well, your plan didn’t work! We’re too strong of a team to be swayed by your bullshit. So, nice try.” Kimberly scoffs.

Trini can feel Jason’s disdain at Kimberly being her snarky self in this point in time, but it works. Ares stands from the table with a laugh.

“You’re right. The bond between you all is too strong. Even Tommy, who only just joined the team, cares for you all so much, I couldn’t sway her. Nor Zack…or you, Jason. And Billy, my…trying to touch your heart was impossible.” 

Trini looks over at Billy, who simply look at his other team members before looking back at Ares, whose eyes move over all the other Rangers as he talks about them, and then his eyes land on Clark.

“There’s anger in you, Superman. But there’s much more anger in your friend, Bruce.” Ares looks behind him at Bruce, who blinks up at them with a scowl. 

Clark grits his teeth, his fist clenching tightly, but he doesn’t attack, and Trini grips his wrist gently to calm him.

“What did you do to him?” Clark growls.

“Bruce has many issues, Clark. His anger is just one of them.” 

“You’ve been manipulating him for weeks!”

“I barely gave him anything. A majority of Bruce’s anger is his own. I just gave him the smallest dose of my power. And now…now he’s finally decided to act on it.” Clark glares at him.

“When this is over…” Clark says in a low voice. Ares simply smiles at him before his eyes move over to Trini and Kimberly.

“And then we arrive at you two…” Ares extends his hands, a look of wonder in his eyes as electricity sparks from his palms.

“Young love…the two of you are something special. The love you share, my, my…too powerful for me to even attempt to dissuade.” Trini feels Kimberly squeeze her hand.

“That anger I felt at her in Themyscira…that fight we had, that was you?” Trini says surprisingly calmly, despite the pure rage beginning to burn inside her. Ares scoffs, and Trini sees, for the first time, a hint of anger in his eyes.

“How many times must I repeat myself? I don’t have the power to create anger or conflict! I only have the power to bring the conflict and rage burning inside to the surface! All of you had this within you! You just continue to deny it.”

“You still manipulated us.” Trini hisses. Ares sighs.

“I did…it’s nothing personal, just business.”

“It’s not business. It’s you being consumed by power, so screw you.” Kimberly spits out. Ares closes his eyes and smiles, looking up at the ceiling as he exhales loudly.

“Ah…it appears a change of plans is necessary…”

“What?” Trini croaks out. She feels Clark tense up beside her, and she looks at Kimberly to see her watching Ares with wide eyes. 

“Hmm…” Ares hums lightly, and Trini watches as the energy in his body begins to grow, electricity sparking wildly. Bruce suddenly steps forward, his fists clenched as he glares up at Clark angrily, and Trini feels her heart pound against her chest.

“Mmm, she’s close…I can feel her.” Ares whispers. Trini’s heart stops.

He’s talking about Diana, he must be.

“Wait-.” Trini yells as she steps forward.

Blinding white light fills the Krispy Kreme, and Trini feels herself getting thrown back, her grip on Kimberly’s hand disappearing before she hears the sound of glass breaking as she goes right through it and everything goes dark.

-

“We can’t begin to thank you enough.”

Tommy grasps the hand of the police officer in front of her, smiling underneath her visor at the gratitude written all over his face as he wipes the sweat from his brow.

“We’re sworn to protect Angel Grove. That means its citizens, too.” Zack says beside her. 

“I don’t know where you Power Rangers came from, but thank god you did. This could have been a catastrophe, but we managed to get everyone out thanks to you two.” 

“Happy to help.” Tommy says.

A few of the fire fighters step forward, all of them shaking Tommy and Zack’s hands before Tommy exchanges a glance with him.

“We gotta help the others.”

“I know…I just wanna check on my mom one last time.” Zack says, and Tommy can’t read his face, but she can feel his anxiety and his relief that his mother is okay through the bond, and she sighs.

“Alright. Two minutes?” Zack nods.

“Meet me in the parking lot.” Tommy nods, then quickly looks to the left toward the benches where she knows her mother is sitting with her sister.

Her heart is broken.

But she can’t focus on the fact that her father is gone, can’t focus on the fact that her sister and her mother almost joined him…

She needs to fight for them now.

She makes her way over to them as soon as she spots them, and it breaks her heart.

They don’t know anything yet.

_Focus, Tommy…you need to stay focused…_

She simply shakes the hands of people who thank her or grip her or scream their gratitude in her face and gently pushes her way through them before she gets to her mother and her sister.

“Are you alright?” She asks, bending down in front of her sister, who removes the oxygen mask she has on to offer her a weak smile.

“Th-thank you.” She manages to get out. Tommy ignores the prick of tears in her eyes and reaches out to grip Trisha’s hands.

“You’re welcome.” Tommy’s mother grips her hand, her expression frantic as she chokes on a sob.

“Please…can you tell me, have you seen my other daughter? Her name is Tommy, she’s about five foot five, long dark hair-.”

“She’s safe, I promise. She’s uh…she’s helping the police evacuate the Hospital, I saw her. She’s a brave girl.” Tommy says. Her mother bursts into tears, nods once as she wraps an arm around Trisha.

“She is! God, she is…thank god she’s safe…” Tommy smiles, nods once before standing.

“I have to go, our fight isn’t over. Our friends need us.” Her mother nods once, reaches out and grips her armored hand.

“Stay safe. And thank you.” Tommy squeezes her hand, and she’s about to turn and leave when Trisha suddenly grips her hand and pulls her back. She beckons her down, and as soon as Tommy bends down, Trisha leans up close to whisper into her ear.

“Go get them, Tommy.” Tommy pulls back in shock, watches as Trisha grins widely at her before raising the oxygen mask back to her mouth to breathe in, and Tommy looks beside Trisha at her mother, who hasn’t heard the exchange as she looks at the other patients around them, and when Tommy looks back at Trisha, she nods once encouragingly.

Tommy smiles, nods once at her before turning her back on her family and making her way to Zack, who looks up at her before nodding once and bowing his head as his mother does the same. 

His mother has a knowing glint on her eyes, as if she knows it’s her son behind the black helmet and armor, but she says nothing, simply smiles as Tommy reaches Zack, and the both of them begin making their way to the parking lot.

“Let’s go-.”

A resounding boom suddenly erupts from somewhere in the Town, and the both of them stop in their tracks and look up in shock as a white light blinds the sky.

“Holy shit, what was that?” Tommy gasps. Zack looks at her in shock.

“That’s coming from the Krispy Kreme. I can tell. Shit…”

“What the hell is going on?” Tommy looks behind her to see the cops rushing forward, and Zack shakes his head.

“No! The Power Rangers will handle it! Stay here, keep everyone safe! We’ve got it!” He yells. One of the cops hesitates, but he reaches for his walkie-talkie on his shoulder.

“All units, do not go near the explosion in town, I repeat, stand back. The Power Rangers have got it-.”

“We have to go. Now.” Tommy says, looking at Zack anxiously. 

“Gun it?” Zack says, and Tommy’s already running by the time she replies.

“Let’s do this!” 

-

For the second time in one night, Trini finds herself waking up to her body throbbing with pain, and she hisses as she blinks up at the sky, covered in stars and smoke as she sits up with a groan of pain and observes the fire burning in front of her.

Krispy Kreme, once again, is destroyed. 

In flames and smoldering as Ares walks forward out of the building, not a scratch on him and electricity still sparking off his body.

Trini glares at him, but blinks in surprise when Clark suddenly flies out of the Krispy Kreme clutching Barry and Dinah in his arms. He drops them beside Trini, and he turns quickly and flies straight for Ares-

Bruce suddenly jumps in out of what seems like nowhere and tackles Clark out of the air mid-flight, tackling him to the ground, and Trini becomes aware of the metal armor now covering his body, eyes glowing white as he continues hitting Clark with everything he has, punching him with a guttural growl.

“Clark!”

“GET ARES! I’VE GOT BRUCE!” Clark roars as he stops Bruce’s next punch with a growl, and Trini hesitates before she turns to Ares to see Jason slamming right into Ares, pushing him down into the ground before raising a fist, and Ares grips his wrist and twists it before pushing him off with ease. 

Jason falls back, and Clark pushes Bruce off him and throws him back far before he flies up and uses his heat vision to send rays straight to Ares’s heart, but he rolls out of the way with ease before throwing a bolt of electricity straight at Clark.

Trini jumps up, looks around her for her other Rangers and looks just in time to see Jason recover just as Kimberly runs straight at Ares, both of them charging as they begin fighting Ares with as much effort as they can.

“Trini!” Trini turns to see Billy running straight toward her, and she nods once and holds a hand out for him to take.

“Let’s go!”

They both reach Ares just as he lands a punch straight at Jason’s face, causing him to fall back as Kimberly does a spin kick that doesn’t land as Ares grips her ankle before gripping her leg and spinning her before tossing her. She slams into the brick wall of the establishment beside the Krispy Kreme before falling to the ground with a groan of pain.

Trini growls as Billy jumps up, and he barely gets a land in before Ares hits him with electricity that has him flying backwards.

Trini lets out a war cry and lands a series of kicks straight at Ares’s head, each of which he blocks and dodges before he attempts a punch that Trini barely manages to dodge by shifting to the right. 

Clark comes flying in, is once again stopped by Bruce, who grabs him and throws him into a light pole, and Ares pushes Trini back, causing her to stumble as he throws another bolt of lightning at Kimberly, who has barely recovered from the last hit before turning his attention to Jason, who manages to get a hit in that barely even affects Ares as he blocks the next punch and throws Jason into the wall he threw Kimberly into, Jason landing on a heap on top of her.

He’s too strong.

He’s tearing the four Rangers apart with ease, and not even Clark is managing to get a hit in, too preoccupied with a hypnotized Bruce, who seems to be super powered as he continues attacking Clark relentlessly.

They need help.

“TRINI!” 

And as if she has the power to summon what she needs, Trini turns and almost lets out a sob of relief as she sees Zack and Tommy making their way down the street straight toward the fight. 

They don’t even hesitate, both of them stuttering in their steps as they reach Ares before they begin throwing punches, and Trini finds herself worrying for Tommy, who’s had barely any training with fighting as she throws a hook at Ares. 

Ares looks bored, his eyes glazed over as he dodges each of their hits before gripping one of them and tossing them or pushing them back with ease.

He’s barely breaking a sweat, and Trini turns just in time to see another problem brewing.

Citizens of Angel Grove are beginning to crowd around the burning Krispy Kreme, all of them watching in shock at the Power Rangers and Superman battling this strange man covered in electricity and Batman, and Trini knows it won’t end well with them here.

“Get out of here! Jason! Jason, we gotta get them out of here!” Trini screams, and Jason, who’s on the ground groaning and clutching his stomach, growls and jumps up before turning to the citizens of Angel Grove.

“Get out of here! It’s too dangerous! GO!” He roars.

“LEAVE! NOW!” Trini screams, trying her best to ignore the yells and shouts of pain behind her as the other Rangers continue fighting Ares to no avail while Clark fights Bruce with everything he has.

A few of them stumble back, looks of fear and terror on their faces, and a few of them don’t even hesitate, running out of the place with screams as they hightail out of there.

But there’s others who simply edge closer, their phones in their hands as they grin at the excitement around them. 

“STOP! GET OUT OF HERE!” Trini shouts. 

Trini hears a loud scream and turns to see Tommy clutching her arm, which is bent at an awkward angle as Trini feels the bile rise in the back of her throat. She runs straight toward Ares, ready to join the battle once more. 

Ares continues to fight with barely any effort, despite the fact that the Rangers are pulling every move they have in their arsenal, and Trini can’t see any of the other Rangers faces, but she can feel their fatigue through the bond, can feel Tommy’s pain at her broken arm as well. Trini suddenly hears a loud bang before she sees a flash of bright green, and she turns to see Clark on his knees, coughing and gasping for air as Bruce begins punching him with his metal hand.

And cuts begin to form on Clark’s face with each hit.

Kryptonite grenade. 

Clark grunts in pain, and Trini’s so in shock that something’s hurt the Man of Steel, that she’s positive it must be a dream. 

But Clark attempts to fight back, barely gets a hit in as Bruce growls and hits him once more.

“Always so high and mighty! I should have destroyed you the first time!” Bruce roars, grabbing the back of Clark’s head and throwing him straight into the concrete ground. 

Trini wants to help him, but Ares is destroying the other Rangers, and they need her more.

So she jumps up and runs straight for Ares just as Billy is thrown to the ground past her, but she barely gets to him before he rises up into the air in flight with his arms stretched out. 

“Let them know your anger, Angel Grove. Show them how you really feel…about the Power Rangers.” 

Trini looks up at him in confusion, but before she can react, there’s suddenly shouts of anger from around her, and she turns around wildly to see those still gathered around the fight suddenly yell in anger and drop their phones, all of their faces contorted in rage as they yell loudly.

“You’re the ones causing all this trouble in the first place! If we kill them, it’ll be over!” Someone shouts, and there’s people shouting in agreement.

“Wait, no!” Billy raises his hands to stop them, and before Trini can even look at her fellow Rangers for help, the citizens are suddenly rushing forward, fists raised and screams of anger and rage echoing in the night sky around them as they immediately begin attacking the Rangers.

They’ve been infected with whatever power Ares has, just like Bruce.

Trini immediately crouches down and covers her head, doesn’t fight back as the other Rangers shout in shock.

“Fuck! What are they doing?” Zack screams through the comms in their helmets. 

“Ares is influencing them like he’s influencing Bruce, we’ve gotta stop them!” Jason yells. Trini grits her teeth through the people pounding her back, and even though her armor is protecting her, the pain is still hitting her with each hit.

But she knows they aren’t in control, she can’t attack them.

“Guys, Ares is getting away!” Kimberly says. Trini’s heart drops. 

“Tommy! Tommy, you there?” Zack yells through the comms. 

“My arm…guys, my arm, shit…” 

“Hang in there, Tommy, fuck! Guys, we’ve gotta do something!” Trini yells.

“Stop! We’re not the enemy!” Billy yells. Trini glances through the legs of the crowd from the ground she’s currently curled against.

Clark is still getting pummeled by Bruce, gasping and wincing in pain as Bruce continues hitting him as hard as he can, and Ares walks straight past all of them back into the Krispy Kreme. Trini hears a clap of thunder above her before rain begins to pour heavily around them, and she could’ve sworn it was clear skies seconds ago.

Ares is influencing the weather as well, throwing every curve ball he has at them, while he gets closer and closer to the Crystal, they have to stop him…

But they can’t move.

They’re surrounded by people left, right, and center, and Trini doesn’t want to hurt any of them. Clark is currently getting the life beaten out of him by Bruce, how did everything get so fucked up? She has to stop this-

A flash of red lightning explodes around her before there’s the sound of what sounds like birds screeching with fifty megaphones attached to their beaks as Trini winces and lifts her hands to her ears to cover them in an attempt to shield them from the sound. 

Her ears are ringing slightly by the time the screeching stops, and Trini uncovers her face and looks up slowly to see every single one of the citizens of Angel Grove affected by Ares suddenly clutching their ears as they curl into balls on the ground around her, all of them groaning in pain as the rain drops around them. 

Trini stands slowly and looks up to see Barry and Dinah looking worse for wear, but looking extremely pissed off as Dinah grits her teeth and clutches her shoulder before making her way over to them. Trini looks at Clark to see him wiping blood from his nose as he looks down at Bruce, who is clutching his ears in agony as well.

“Clark! Are you okay?” Barry and Dinah run to him and each hook one of Clark’s arms around their necks and help him up as he winces.

“I’m okay. What happened? You were supposed to be coming here to help.” Clark asks. Dinah sighs. 

“Bruce went crazy and attacked everyone. He didn’t even give us time to try and stop him, he was on us within seconds. The others must still be in Gotham, probably knocked out or worse.” 

“Then they can’t help us.” Clark says with a sigh. Barry and Dinah come to a stop in front of Trini just as the other Rangers join her as well, and Barry and Dinah look at the Power Rangers before them. 

“Trini?” Dinah says, looking at each of them in confusion, and Trini pulls back her visor.

“Yeah.” Dinah blinks in shock, and Barry grins.

“Badass.” 

“So this is it until Diana gets back.” Billy says, wincing as he clutches his ribs in pain.

“We’re more than enough.” Clark says with a weak smile.

“Is it? We’re dying out here. They’ll be up in no time.” Tommy says, nodding back at Bruce and the others still moaning in pain from Dinah’s screech. 

“Why are the citizens attacking you guys?” Barry asks.

“Ares. He’s making sure everyone’s occupied so he can get to the Crystal with ease.”

“Well, what are we waiting for then? Let’s go stop him before they do get up and attack again.” Barry says, but Trini grips his hand and shakes her head just as the other Rangers join them.

“He just took down all six Rangers and Clark with barely a blink of an eye, and he’s got Bruce on his side. He’s way too much for us.”

“We can’t wait around for Diana to come back, Trini. He can’t get his hands on that Crystal.” Jason says. Trini’s eyes move to Tommy beside him, who’s clutching her arm as she looks at them, and Trini can’t see her face because of her visor, but she can feel her pain through the bond. 

“We keep attacking…we keep him distracted until she comes back.” Tommy says slowly.

Jason sighs, looks up at Clark.

“I have a plan.”

“Name it.” Dinah says. 

“Tommy, Billy and Black Canary, you guys keep this crowd and Bruce from rushing into that Krispy Kreme to get involved. The rest of us, hit Ares with everything we’ve got.” 

“Got it. I’ll handle Bruce, he can’t take my powers. I’ll deafen him if I have to. ” Dinah says, cracking her knuckles with a growl, and she makes her way to the crowd that’s slowly beginning to rise as Tommy and Billy follow her.

“The Flash-.”

“Name’s Barry, kid.”

“Right…Barry, Clark, use your speed to surprise him. Kimberly, Zack, Trini, we attack him with everything we’ve got. There’s no time to be exhausted, we run ourselves to the ground if we have to.”

“We’ve got your back, Jase.” Kimberly says. 

“Then let’s do it.” They all rush into the Krispy Kreme, and the second they walk through the doors, they’re all blasted back by a spark of electricity. 

Trini lands on her back and groans at the pain that explodes up it, and when she looks up, Ares is making his way out of the Krispy Kreme with a look of annoyance on his face. 

“Dinah! Looks like we’re gonna be interchanging in this fight!” Trini yells out, pushing herself up slowly. Ares moves to her first, and Trini feels a metallic taste filling her mouth as she probes cut flesh inside her cheek with her tongue.

So she pulls her visor back, glaring at Ares as she spits out blood from her mouth. 

Tommy and Billy continue pushing the crowd back as best they can as Dinah runs forward and pushes herself in front of Trini before she drops her mouth open and lets out a screech that has Trini covering her ears with a groan.

Ares stumbles back with a wince, but other than that, he’s barely affected, his smile only growing wider as Dinah stops screaming and looks back at Trini with wide eyes.

“That’s a problem.”

She barely turns back before Ares strikes her with a bolt of lightning and she falls back and to the ground with a yell of pain. 

Trini feels concern for Dinah, but doesn’t hesitate in rushing forward and striking Ares as fast and as hard as she can.

He dodges every hit, but Trini surprises him with a spin kick that hits him right across the face, and she doesn’t stop, doesn’t even give him the chance to breathe as she spins once again and connects once more.

Panic and excitement rises in her as Ares stumbles back, and Trini yells and continues striking him before Ares suddenly grips her hand and squeezes her fist between his fingers with a growl. 

Jason runs forward, and Ares sends a bolt of lightning his way, and Jason flies back into a light pole and crumbles to the ground.

Trini falls to her knees as her fist continues to get crushed, the pain overwhelming her as she gasps for air, and Ares takes down each person who runs up to him to attack him with ease as he glares down at Trini in anger.

“I said the battle doesn’t start until Diana gets here!” He hisses. 

Trini glares up at him, and before she knows it, she hears a sound that is all too familiar.

The sound of metal clanging together.

Trini feels a wave of energy hit her, and the hand holding her fist drops as Ares is thrown back by whatever energy is being thrown at him.

Trini looks to the left, and this time, tears fall down her face underneath her visor as she cries out in relief.

Diana Prince walks forward as she lowers her arms, the look of anger on her face terrifying, and Trini can see five other Amazons, including Helena, right behind her. 

She brought more back up, thank god…

“I’m here now.” Diana hisses. Trini jumps up just as the other Rangers all rush to her side, and Clark, Dinah and Barry all rush over to Diana as well.

“Where’s everyone else?” Diana asks in concern.

“Bruce went crazy and attacked everyone…he’s, well…” Barry points, and Diana looks out to see Bruce standing with a wince before he makes his way over to Ares and helps him up slowly. 

“Damn it…” Diana whispers.

“Yep.” Dinah says with a wince as she clutches her shoulder where Ares struck her with lightning. 

Diana sighs, looks back at her Amazons before looking at the six Power Rangers beside her. 

“I need you all focused.” She says.

“They’ve got this, Diana. They’ve been amazing so far.” Clark says with a smile. Diana looks at Trini, and she smiles before nodding once and turning to face Ares once more.

Trini follows her gaze to see Ares beginning to stand with Bruce’s help, and he glares at them all before he whistles, and Trini watches in awe and horror as the citizens of Angel Grove under his influence rise and join him on his side, Bruce joining them in glaring at the Justice League, the Amazons, and the Power Rangers before them in anger. 

“Well…isn’t this a battle for the ages?” Ares says wickedly.

“You’re not getting your hands on that Crystal, Ares.” Diana says firmly, reaching behind her to grip her sword in one hand as she grips her shield tighter in the other. 

“Diana…do you really want to do this? The last time you faced me, you lost so much…do you really want to lose it all this time?” Ares’s eyes flick to Trini, and Trini can feel Diana tense up beside her.

She looks at her, and Diana’s eyes glance down at her.

All Trini does is nod encouragingly. 

In a way that says she’s willing to risk her life. She’s willing to die today. 

And so is Diana. 

Diana breathes in deeply and looks at Ares once more.

“I am Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta, mother of the Yellow Power Ranger…and in the name of all that is good, your wrath upon this world is over.” 

Ares scoffs under his breath.

“A hundred years, and still you’ve learned nothing. You still believe they deserve your protection…still believe they are worthy?” Ares growls. Diana smiles softly.

“I do. I still believe what I said. It’s not about deserve, it’s about what you believe. And I believe in love. And I love every single one of the people behind me. No matter what happens…I won’t let you hurt them.” 

“Then let’s do what we’re always destined to do, Diana.”

“The outcome will not be different from last time, Ares.” Diana hisses, and she runs forward just as Ares grins and nods.

“We’ll see about that.” And then he’s lunging forward, and Diana and Ares clash, both of them immediately attacking each other with as much power and passion as possible as the Amazons rush forward to help her, war cries escaping all of them.

Bruce runs straight for Barry, Dinah and Clark, and the Power Rangers glance at each other before raising their fists at the crowd rushing toward them.

“Don’t injure! Don’t kill! Just…knock them out!” Jason yells.

“Great help, Jase!” Zack growls, and Jason sighs before they’re all too busy fighting to talk. 

Trini does her best to simply knock out as many of the people that attack her as possible, but it’s hard. 

All of them swoop her at once, and Trini finds herself kicking and punching a little too hard as her frustration gets the better of her. She hears a lot of yells of pain as bones cracking echo in the night, and the guilt only rears its head every once in a while before she continues to push forward.

They’ll thank her when the only injury they have is a broken bone compared to whatever Ares has in store for them if he gets his hands on that Crystal.

None of the citizens get severe hits in, but Trini does face off with a few muscular looking men and women, and she’s positive she’s got scratches on her face despite the visor and helmet protecting her, and at one point, a rock is thrown straight at her face, striking her forehead. She can feel the blood begin to pour from the cut above her eyebrow as she punches the jaw of some guy in his mid-forties before she turns-

And Amanda glares at her.

“Ah shit.” Trini sighs. Amanda throws a punch, and Trini dodges it before grabbing her wrist and yanking her forward and clotheslining her.

Amanda flips and falls front first onto the pavement, completely knocked out in less than five seconds, and Trini looks down at her.

“No offence, but thank god you aren’t the Green Ranger.” She mutters.

Trini feels bad leaving these people out in the cold rain, but she figures it’s the least of her problems when she sees Kimberly currently getting her ass beat by what looks like the entire football team at Angel Grove.

Including Ty.

Trini races over and helps her out with ease, taking out her frustrations and making hitting a little too hard when it comes to the football team, and as soon as the last guy is down, Trini looks up and sees Kimberly grab Ty before punching him straight in the face.

He stumbles back, and Trini watches as blood pours from his mouth.

And a tooth.

“Again?” She says, looking up at Kimberly, who pulls her visor back. 

“He’s lucky it’s only one tooth again. Here’s hoping this time they don’t put this one back.” She growls, and Trini chuckles as they begin helping the other Rangers to bring the citizens down. 

Despite being busy with a battle of her own, Trini can’t help but continue to look back at the League fighting Bruce and the Amazons fighting Ares.

The League are struggling, Bruce using every Kryptonite grenade he has to bring Clark down, but Dinah and Barry are picking up to slack, Dinah using her screech and Barry using his speed to confuse Bruce as much as possible, but Bruce isn’t giving up, his fist striking Dinah right in the jaw as she falls to the ground in pain.

Meanwhile, the Amazons are all fighting their absolute hardest against Ares, who looks like he’s really struggling now as Diana is thrown back by him only to be replaced by Helena, who fights him with what looks like every ounce of strength she has, daggers spinning striking with insane speed.

Trini wishes she’d brought her own daggers Helena had gifted her now.

As soon as all the citizens are controlled (or in this case, unconscious and getting soaked by the rain), Jason gathers the other Rangers breathlessly as he pulls his visor back.

They need a break, but they know there’s no time for one.

“They need us.” He pants out, looking up at the two groups fighting each other. 

“Six of us with the League, six of us with the Amazons.” Zack says, clutching the stitch in his side. 

“Trini, Billy and I will join the Amazons. Tommy, Zack, Kim…you’ve got the League.” 

“Got it.” They’ve barely moved before Barry suddenly runs straight to them, and Trini can see his nose is broken as he groans and looks up at the others.

“I’ll…I’ll get these people out of here…out of harms way.” He gasps out, looking at the citizens on the floor, and Jason nods.

“Please.”

“Go help Clark and Dinah.” Barry says, and then he’s gone in a flash of red light, the citizens disappearing as Barry carries them off one by one. Trini immediately makes her way straight toward the battle with Ares, ignores the sounds of pain as the others being fighting Bruce, the rain barely slowing any of them down as Trini immediately jumps at Ares as he knocks Artemis down.

“You again?” He growls, swinging a hook at Trini, and she dodges it quickly, kicking out at his legs, which he barely avoids. 

Billy and Jason tag team, Jason propelling Billy forward as he tackles into Ares, and Ares easily grabs Billy and lifts him up into the air with a roar before slamming him onto the ground back first.

Billy groans, and Trini rushes forward, but Diana suddenly show up by her side and grips her arm.

“Together!” Before Trini can question it, Diana grips her forearms.

“Kick!” Trini realizes what she wants, and she uses Diana lifting her to quickly kick Ares in the chest. He stumbles back, and Penelope rushes forward and strikes him with her sword. 

Diana squeezes Trini’s wrist.

“He’s not as powerful as he was before.”

“Seriously? He’s been kicking our ass all night.” Trini groans. 

“Don’t give up. We’ve almost got him.” Diana says, and she rushes forward, Trini trying her best to ignore the throbbing pain in her body as she runs forward after her. 

They continue attacking, and despite the fact that Trini can feel the fatigue of Billy and Jason through the bond, they don’t give up, both of them grunting and pushing themselves to fight as the Amazons do the same. 

And Ares’s frustration only grows.

He clearly believed they’d be easy work, and Trini thinks he’s starting to regret waiting for everyone to appear to start the battle.

Billy, Jason and Trini corner him, and Ares glares up at Diana and Euboea on the right of him before he growls.

And Trini looks on in horror as electricity begins to crackle all over his body. 

“TRINI!” Diana screams, but there’s nothing anyone can do.

Ares explodes, electricity sparking all over the place, and Trini flies back, feels her back slam into something hard before she falls to the ground.

She can’t move.

Trini can barely feel her body, her head spinning wildly and bile rising in the back of her throat as she groans.

She can taste blood in her mouth, can barely register her surroundings, and when she opens her eyes, everything is on fire.

Fire is surrounding the streets around them, and Trini doesn’t have the energy to push herself up.

“Trin…” She blinks slowly, turns her head to look beside her.

Billy and Jason are also defeated, on the ground and barely moving as Jason looks up at her before he begins crawling, his face contorted in pain.

“Trin…we can’t beat him.” He croaks out.

Trini feels her heart break at the defeat in his voice, and she reaches out and grabs his hand tightly.

“We can, Jase…we…we gotta f-fight…” 

But Trini’s taken three hard bumps tonight.

Even she’s starting to feel like they can’t win this…

Fuck, this is Rita all over again…

They’re gonna die.

Trini looks out onto the street, which is now a battlefield.

Diana is still fighting, but two of the Amazons, who Trini recognizes as Egeria and Artemis, are dragging an unconscious Penelope away while Helena, Euboea and Diana continue fighting Ares.

Bruce has Dinah by the throat, crushing it between his metal fingers as Dinah gasps for air, and Barry is screaming in pain on the ground, clutching his leg as he rocks back and forth.

“Kimberly…where’s…” Trini feels the corners of her eyes darken, but she blinks away the concussion she’s sure she has and looks around for Kimberly, desperate to find her-

There.

She’s running forward toward Bruce, ready to attack, but he grabs her by the throat with his second hand, lifting her off the ground as well until he’s holding both women in his hands and choking the life out of them-

“KIM!” Trini feels a burst of energy enlighten her, feels herself jumping up off the ground as she runs straight for Bruce, who suddenly squeezes Dinah’s neck tightly as her eyes roll into the back of her head, and Trini knows Kimberly is next-

Clark beats Trini to the punch.

He flies into Bruce from behind, and both girls drop to the ground as Bruce collides with the ground head first.

Clark grabs the back of his head and slams it back into the ground with a loud yell, and Bruce’s metallic armor seems to power down, the lights blinking off, and Clark grips his helmet and twists it before ripping it off his head to reveal Bruce, his eyes closed as unconsciousness grips him.

Clark stands, wincing in pain as he does, and Trini immediately rushes to Kimberly’s side, pulling her up onto her lap as Kimberly clutches her throat and gasps for air.

Trini can see the bruises already forming around Kimberly’s throat, and she spits up blood as she looks up at Trini in horror.

“Fuck, Kim! Just breathe-.”

“He’s crushed her windpipe.” Clark says, bending down in front of them.

“Fuck, fuck, Kim-.”

“DIANA! NO!” 

Trini looks up.

Past Clark, past Zack and Tommy, who are tending to Dinah, past everyone.

Helena is on the ground, screaming as Diana charges at Ares-

And Ares grabs her by the throat before spinning her around and wrapping an arm around her neck.

And Trini knows what he’s going to do, and her whole world spins.

But before he can, Euboea runs forward and pulls Diana away from him roughly before lifting her sword with a yell.

And as a result, Ares grabs her by the throat instead.

Within seconds, there’s a loud cracking sound that echoes in the night sky around them along with the fire crackling, and Euboea crumbles to the ground lifelessly.

“NO!”

The scream from Diana is heartbreaking, and Trini looks at Clark with tears in her eyes.

“Stay with her, please.” She whispers, pushing Kimberly into Clark’s arms, and he nods once.

Trini stands.

The rain begins to lighten, and she runs, runs past Zack and Tommy, who are hovering over Dinah’s unconscious body, runs straight for Ares, who Diana is already charging toward-

Ares sends what looks like a pile of metal flying straight toward Diana, and it smacks her hard and has her falling to the ground with a grunt.

And Trini watches as the strips of metal that hit her pin her to the concrete ground, watches as Diana struggles against it desperately just as Trini reaches Ares-

She knows how it’s going to go.

It doesn’t stop her.

Ares grins wickedly, and Trini barely gets a hit in before Ares grabs her by the wrist and spins her around before pinning her back to his chest and wrapping an arm around her neck.

He pulls her helmet off harshly, ripping it from her head before gripping her hair, and Trini can’t breathe, can’t feel her body as Ares drags her over to Diana, who doesn’t even hold back her sobs as she struggles against the metal restraining her.

“NO! NO! ARES, PLEASE-.” 

“Isn’t this a familiar sight, Diana? You…restrained on the ground as someone you love has their life hanging in the balance…just out of your reach.” Ares breathes. 

“Please! Please, I’m begging you, Ares! Kill me instead, please-.” Diana is begging, her eyes wide and tears streaming down into her hair, mixing with the light rain falling on her face. 

“I killed your mentor…the person who taught you everything you knew…and now I’m going to kill your daughter, Diana.” 

“Ares, please…please, don’t do this, you can have me, kill me instead, please-.” 

Diana’s frantic, more frantic than Trini has ever seen her, and Trini knows it won’t work.

She’s about to die.

She feels a wave of calm wash over her, and she’s surprised.

The tension around her neck grows tighter-

“ARES, PLEASE! NO!” 

The scream is heartbreaking.

Trini wishes she could say goodbye.

The tension in her neck reaches paramount-

And then it’s over.

Trini drops to the ground just as the tension in her neck disappears, and when she finds air whistling down her throat, finds herself still able to see everything around her, she gasps for air and coughs at the pain as she turns-

And sees Tommy in Ares’s clutches instead.

“No-.” Trini coughs out, and Ares’s grip on Tommy’s throat tightens.

“What did you think would happen, child?” He growls at Tommy.

She grits her teeth-

And grins.

“This.” Tommy raises her hand, and Trini can see one of Bruce’s grenades in her fist. 

Tommy looks down at Diana and Trini with a sad smile as Ares’s eyes widen in shock.

“Tommy!” Her name comes out choked, and Tommy grips the pin.

And lets the grenade fall just as the metal strips restricting Diana fall away.

“Look after my mom and my sister, would you?” Tommy whispers.

“TOMMY!”

Trini only sees the blur that is Diana jumping up-

The explosion happens, loud and bright and blinding, and Trini feels a warmth beside her, can’t see who it is or what the source is, only feels the heat from the grenade explode around her as she cries out and grips whoever is holding her tightly. 

The explosion only lasts a few seconds, but it feels like a lifetime, and Trini is breathing heavily as she blinks slowly and looks up to see Diana is the only clutching her to her chest, her shield raised and protecting them both as she looks down at Trini in shock.

“Tommy…” She whispers.

Trini jumps up, Diana right by her side, and the sight before her has Trini screaming.

Ares is on his knees, still alive, still breathing, but electricity sparking off of him violently as he shakes and yells in pain. 

Diana stands, steps in front of him, and Ares looks up at her, his expression almost pleading.

“Sister…please…” He breathes, a hand reaching up to grip Diana’s thigh.

She glares down at him.

“I am Diana of Themyscira…daughter of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons…mother of the Yellow Power Ranger…and in the name of all the people you have killed here today…your wrath upon this world is over, brother.”

She slams her bracelets together, and the energy slams into Ares’s heart, burning a hole straight through his chest as he roars in pain before collapsing to the ground in an explosion of electricity. 

Trini watches as the white in his eyes disappears, watches as Jake Oliver’s face returns to normal, as the fire surrounding them all immediately dies down, replaced by ashes that fall from the sky, but all Trini can focus on is the body a few feet away from where Ares has just been defeated.

Tommy’s lifeless body on the ground. 

“NO!” Trini runs, pushes herself to keep going no matter what until she reaches Tommy’s side.

Tommy’s armor is blown to hell, parts of it broken off and exposing the scratched and bloody skin beneath it, and half her helmet is gone, the glass cracked and broken as the scratches and burns on her face ooze with blood.

“Tommy! No, this isn’t how it ends, come on!” Trini lifts Tommy into her arms, shakes her, presses two fingers against her neck to feel for a pulse-

And when she feels one thrumming against her fingers, she lets out a choked cry of relief.

“Tommy! Come on, you can do this! Breathe!” Trini lays her down flat and begins performing CPR just as Jason and Zack run straight toward her. 

“TOMMY!” Zack yells, skidding to a halt in front of them before bending down beside Trini, and she places her hands over Tommy’s chest and begins pumping.

“She’s not dead, no way.” Trini grunts through gritted teeth.

And she’s right.

It only takes a few hits to her chest before Tommy’s eyes fly open as she gasps for air before coughing wildly, and Zack lets out a groan of relief and lifts Tommy into his arms as she buries her head into his chest.

“What happened?” She breathes.

“Your armor saved you, it’s okay…it’s over…” Zack whispers, pulling back his visor and pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

“Don’t let her see…” Jason says softly to Zack, looking behind them both, and Trini follows his gaze to see him staring at Jake Oliver’s dead body on the ground, eyes wide and staring as the hole burned through his chest sizzles from the light rain falling on it.

Trini’s eyes move up to the figure standing in front of him. 

Diana’s simply standing there, her head tilted up to the stars above her, and Trini looks down at Tommy, who’s still curled up against Zack.

“Tommy? You okay?” She breathes. Tommy simply nods once, her whole body shaking in Zack’s arms.

“Surprised…to be alive…” She whispers. Trini smiles, bites down on her bottom lip before standing.

It’s over.

When she looks behind her, she sees Helena bent over Euboea’s body, a look of anguish on her face. Penelope is still unconscious, Artemis and Egeria trying to rouse her to consciousness, but both of them crying as they look up at Helena over Euboea’s body. 

Trini blinks back her tears, looks behind them to see Billy shouldering an injured Kimberly, who looks up at Trini weakly, and Trini’s about to rush forward when she looks behind them to see Clark carrying Dinah in his arms.

Trini feels whatever energy she had left leave her.

Clark’s expression is filled with regret and grief, and Trini knows she’s gone.

Dinah’s dead.

Dinah, who used to piggyback her around Wayne Manor as a child. Dinah, who would always defend Trini any time her and Diana argued about locations to live in…

“No…” 

Trini turns, sees Diana still hasn’t moved, and she walks forward slowly, tears falling down her face.

Tommy’s dad, Euboea and Dinah are dead.

Tommy came close to joining them.

They’re all injured.

Diana still hasn’t moved.

“Mom?” Trini whispers. 

Diana twitches, and Trini takes that as a sign to step closer. 

“Mom…” Trini finally reaches her side, and Diana exhales as soon as she feels Trini at her side.

“He’s gone…again.” She says hoarsely. Trini bites her lip.

“For good?” She whispers. 

“I don’t know.” Diana says firmly. 

They’re both silent. And then-

“That was Tommy’s father. He killed him and took over his body.” 

“Yes.” 

Diana lets out a shaky breath, and finally turns to face her.

She looks pale, shaken, sweat on her brow, and Trini knows she looks ten times worse, because tears immediately in her eyes as they roam over Trini’s face.

She doesn’t say anything. 

She grabs Trini and pulls her in, hugging her tightly, and Trini buries her head into Diana’s shoulder and hugs her back, both of them crying in relief and pain.

“Mom…Dinah, she’s-.”

“I know…I see, shh…” Diana says shakily, rubbing gentle circles into her back. 

Trini doesn’t want to leave the embrace of her mother’s arms. She feels safe here, feels secure, and it’s like she’s five years old, crying over a scraped knee as Diana holds her close and comforts her.

Except this time, she’s seventeen, a Power Ranger, the scraped knee is now multiple cuts and bruises and three people they love and care about are dead. 

Trini inhales shakily and pulls away, and Diana presses a kiss to her forehead gently before they both turn to see Clark making his way toward them, still carrying Dinah in his arms. 

“Diana…” Clark says softly, and Diana shakes her head, steps forward and takes Dinah into her arms before walking over to Euboea’s dead body and laying Dinah down beside her.

“Is Bruce okay?” Diana asks, her voice calm and steady despite the tears falling down her face. 

Clark looks behind them, and Trini follows his gaze. 

Bruce is standing alone, far away from all of them, his head down as he avoids even looking at them.

“It’s not his fault.” Diana says, and Clark sighs.

“I know…but at the end of the day, he killed her.” Clark says, looking down at Dinah’s lifeless body. 

“What are we going to do about Oliver?” Diana whispers. 

“We’ll handle it later, Diana. Right now, we need to just make sure everyone else is okay.” 

Diana nods once, and she stands, looking at Trini with a heartbreaking smile.

“The others?”

“We’re all okay. Tommy’s badly injured, but I think she’s healing.” Trini says. She turns to see Jason making his way toward them, Zack carrying Tommy in his arms right behind him as Billy and Kimberly also reach Trini at the same time.

Trini takes Billy’s spot, grabbing Kimberly’s arm and placing it over her shoulders before wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Are you okay?” She asks softly. Kimberly nods, wincing as she opens her mouth to talk.

“Healing.” She croaks out. Trini presses a kiss to her bruised neck gently. 

“Don’t talk, okay?” Kimberly nods. 

“How’s Tommy?” Billy asks. Jason sighs as Zack adjusts his hold on Tommy.

“She needs rest and time to heal. She’s lucky, her armor saved her life.” Zack says gruffly. 

Trini watches as Clark sighs and makes his way over to Bruce, and Diana helps up Barry, who steps gingerly on his injured leg with a gasp of pain. 

Trini’s eyes move over to Helena, who’s holding up a still groggy Penelope, Artemis and Egeria, all of whom stand and embrace each other before they all stand over Euboea’s body. 

Diana joins them, embracing them each as they cry, tears falling down her face as well as Jason looks at them before turning to the Rangers.

“Is everyone okay?” He asks softly.

None of them reply, and Diana makes her way over to them slowly, wraps her arms around Trini before sighing.

“Let’s get out of here…let’s go home.” 

-

Bruce is inconsolable.

He stays in Diana’s backyard, doesn’t move from the bench as he sits with his head in his hands and only nods every once in a while as Trini observes Diana talking to him from inside the house.

Diana grips his shoulder, and Trini has never been more shocked in her life when she sees his back shaking as he sobs, running his hands through his hair in grief as Diana pulls him into her embrace. 

Clark sighs behind Trini and grips her shoulder.

“We have to leave…we have to check on the other members of the League, and I have to take Dinah’s body back to Oliver…” Trini nods once and looks up at him.

“Will you be able to keep Oliver from killing him?” She asks softly. Clark purses his lips and nods.

“Yeah, I’ll keep Oliver in check. Bruce wasn’t in control, Oliver will know that.”

“Won’t stop him from kicking Bruce’s ass.” Trini mumbles. Clark runs a hand through his hair, but looks up as Bruce and Diana walk back into the house. 

“We-we have to get back to Gotham.” Bruce says shakily, and Clark nods once.

“I know.”

“The others, I hurt them-.”

“I know. Barry left a minute ago with Dinah.” 

“Then let’s go.” Bruce says, sniffing and nodding once before walking up to Clark, who grips him by the elbow before looking up at Diana.

“Let me know what happens. And if it gets out of hand-.”

“I’ll call you.” Clark says firmly. Diana nods, and Trini feels a burst of air hit her as, in the blink of an eye, Clark and Bruce are gone. 

Diana looks at her with a small smile, and Trini feels the fatigue beginning to settle in as she moves forward and hugs Diana around the waist, and Diana rests her head on top of Trini’s head.

“Where are the others?” Diana asks.

“The Amazons are with Euboea’s body in the garage…Zack, Jason, Billy and Tommy went to the Grid to talk to Zordon and to help Tommy heal in the Grid, and Kimberly’s asleep in the living room.” 

“She should have gone to the Grid to heal, too.” Diana murmurs.

“She didn’t wanna leave my side.”

“Then you should have gone with them.”

“I didn’t wanna leave yours.” Diana sighs, but nods and presses a kiss to her brow. 

“Do you think Bruce will be okay?” Trini whispers. Diana cradles her face in her hands, her expression filled with anguish as she bites down on her bottom lip.

“I don’t know, little one. Losing Dinah…it’s not easy.” She croaks. Trini lets out a shaky breath and nods.

“I know…” 

“When Tommy realizes her father is gone, you have to be there for her, Trini.”

“I will.”

“Mmm, good.” 

They’re silent for a few moments, simply wrapped in each other’s embrace, and Trini smiles to herself.

“Kimberly asked me to marry her.” She says. Diana freezes against her, and Trini chuckles and looks up at her to see her blinking in shock.

“Not any time soon, just…made me promise that one day we will.” Trini reassures her, and Diana visibly relaxes as she smiles and nods.

“One day…but not any day soon. You’re too young.”

“Mom…” Trini rolls her eyes, and Diana grins and presses another kiss to her hair before sighing.

“I should go check on the Amazons. Go check on Kimberly.”

“Okay…” Diana runs a hand through her hair and smiles at her warmly.

“You made me so proud today, Trini. You kept fighting no matter what. You did amazing.”

“Thank you…”

“I love you, little one.”

“I love you too, mom.” 

They make their way to the living room, but Diana breaks off to walk to the garage as Trini enters the living room to see Kimberly still fast asleep on the couch.

Trini will always be amazed that their clothes underneath don’t get destroyed during the fight, and Kimberly doesn’t even look like she almost died, her clothes perfectly in place and the cuts on her body slowly healing.

The only thing that’s still contrasting dark against her skin is the bruises around her neck from Bruce’s attack. 

Trini sighs, moves over Kimberly and is about to runs her fingers through her hair gently when Kimberly opens one eye and smiles softly before grabbing her and pulling Trini on top of her, hugging her to her chest as Trini melts into her embrace.

“How are you feeling?” Trini whispers.

“Like shit. But happy to be alive. You?” Kimberly says, her voice still hoarse as her crushed windpipe continues to heal slowly.

“I’m okay. Tired.” Trini mutters.

“How’s Tommy?” Kimberly croaks.

“Jason, Billy and Zack took her to the morphing grid to help her heal. But she’s alive…” Kimberly sighs.

“Dinah.” She says simply. Trini’s heart squeezes, and she nods.

“Yeah…and Tommy’s dad…and Euboea…three casualties.” Trini says shakily. 

“I know, Trin…shh…” Trini feels her tears fall before she can stop them, and Kimberly runs her fingers through her hair, her fingers skating up and down Trini’s arm gently as Trini bites her lip before lifting herself up slightly and burying her head into Kimberly’s neck.

She kisses the bruises littering the skin of Kimberly’s neck, lips gentle and soft as Kimberly sighs into her touch. 

“That feels good…” She whispers. Trini smiles against her, keeps kissing her bruised neck as Kimberly hums in content and tightens her hold before Trini leans up and presses a gentle kiss to her lips.

“We’re gonna be okay?” She asks. Kimberly runs her hands through her hair and smiles tiredly.

“It’s gonna take us some time to heal…but yeah. Of course we’re gonna be okay.” Trini smiles back at her, kisses her once more before she hesitates.

“You said…you said ‘marry me’ before we fought Ares-.”

“I meant it.” Kimberly says, wincing slightly at the pain in her voice box, and Trini shakes her head and places a finger on her lips.

“Shh, don’t talk. I meant it, too. Every word. I am so insanely and stupidly in love with you, Kimberly Hart. And I promise you that one day…we will get married.” Trini says softly.  
Kimberly smiles and wraps a hand around the back of her neck, pulling her down to kiss her passionately, and Trini whines against her, lips hard but filled with affection as Kimberly pulls away with a gasp.

“Good. Because I am insanely and stupidly in love with you too, Trini Prince. And I can’t think of anything better than marrying you.” 

Trini chuckles, kisses her lips softly once more before she sighs.

“We’re gonna be okay.” She whispers.

Kimberly nods once, and Trini buries her head into Kimberly’s chest as Kimberly kisses her forehead.

“We’re gonna be okay.”

It doesn’t take them long at all.

But wrapped in each other’s embrace, Kimberly’s the first to fall asleep, and moments later, Trini feels her eyes close, feels herself drifting off to sleep with one thought running through her mind.

_We’re okay._

-

She skates her fingers along bare skin, tracing patterns and words with ease as Kimberly hums in content and whines softly before burying her head into Trini’s neck before pressing a kiss to the skin of her collarbone.

Trini smiles, closes her eyes sleepily as Kimberly digs her nails into the skin of her ribs gently. 

“Do we have to wake up?” She groans. Trini chuckles, opens one eye and peeks down at her.

“Mm, we’re on holiday, we don’t have to.” She croaks out. Kimberly leans up and peppers her jaw with kisses, and Trini grins and quickly grabs her, spinning her around and laying her flat on the bed as she kisses her deeply, and Kimberly laughs against her and runs her fingers through her hair-

“WAKE UP LOVEBIRDS, BEACH TIME!” Trini and Kimberly jump apart at the sound of the door to their room slamming open, and Zack walks in with a grin on his face, shirtless and only wearing swimming shorts as Jason, Zack, and Tommy trail behind him, all of them looking exasperated.

“Zack, we said give them another ten minutes.” Jason says with a sigh.

“We only get a week in Themyscira and we’re on day four! No time to waste!” Zack says, clapping his hands together excitedly. Trini grabs one of the pillows on hers and Kimberly’s bed and throws it straight at Zack’s head.

“You’re an ass.” She growls.

“Oh come on, T! We’re on a magical fucking island…live a little!” 

“Yeah, we need a holiday after the shit we’ve been through, fighting aliens and demigods…I think we get a reprieve.” Billy mutters. 

“And attending way too many funerals…” Tommy says. Trini’s heart drops, and Tommy looks up at them with a sigh before shaking her head.

“Sorry, ignore me, I’m being-.”

“A grieving daughter. It’s okay.” Zack says, smiling and pulling Tommy to him in a one-armed hug. Tommy sighs again, but smiles all the same. 

It’s been a few weeks now since Ares’s attack.

School essentially been cancelled for a week after a third attack on Angel Grove in less than a year in order for everyone to get themselves together, and Diana had jumped at the opportunity, telling Trini that they could take the chance to spend a week in Themyscira after everything they’d been through.

Diana had been the one to approach every single one of the Rangers parents, telling them that she’d be supervising the entire trip to “Miami”, (they couldn’t exactly say they were going to the magical island Wonder Woman was from), and surprisingly, it hadn’t been much trouble.

Tommy’s mother had given Tommy permission immediately, wanting her daughter to get away after losing her father and going through the funeral process, and Trini had been there while Tommy had hugged her mother and her sister, all of them hugging each other tightly as they cried over the loss of their husband and father. 

Diana had begun paying for both Zack’s mother and Tommy’s sister’s hospital bills, and Tommy’s mother had been beside herself with appreciation, hugging Diana for what felt like three hours straight when Diana had told her.

Tommy had leaned over, had looked at Trini in complete shock.

“I…she’s already paying for Zack’s mom-.”

“She’s been saving and earning money for a hundred years, Tommy. Trust me, this is nothing.” Trini had told her softly. 

Jason’s father and mother had also been co-operative, if a little hesitant, but after Jason had spent an entire night talking with his father and patching things up with him a day after Ares’s attack, his parents had come to realize that they couldn’t control their son anymore. 

His father had hugged him and had told him to be safe, and Jason had promised him he would, and that was that.

Candace Cranston’s only issue was that, for the first time in her life, her son wouldn’t be by her side. 

“He has autism, I…I’m not sure if you can handle that, Diana-.” She had said, and Diana had gripped her hands and smiled.

“He’ll have his friends with him, and I’ll be watching over him the entire time, I promise, Candace.” 

Candace had sighed, but had eventually agreed after seeing the excitement on Billy’s face.

Trini had felt the guilt rear about the fact that they weren’t even going to Miami, but Billy had promised he’d stay in contact with his mother, and then had spent four days straight fixing his phone to have a stronger signal connection. 

And of course, it had worked.

He spent at least five minutes every day on the phone with his mother, the connection shoddy, but still there as he smiled and told her everything about his trip.

“Mom, the beach here is so nice! And the water is clear, and...”

Zack’s mother had also immediately agreed, wanting her son to take a break from worrying about his mother for a few days as she had gripped Diana’s hand and spoken with her in Mandarin, apparently telling her that there was no one else she trusted more to look after her son.

Kimberly’s parents had been…tough.

Their biggest issue was Trini and Kimberly being alone and miles away from them, and even though Diana had assured them she would keep an eye on them, Kimberly’s mother had still been hesitant. 

Her father had been the one to eventually convince her to let Kimberly go, but even then there was a bunch of rules, including having to ring them every day, to which Kimberly had decided to only use Billy’s phone to call them for less than a minute to tell them she was still alive before hanging up on them for the last four days that they’ve been in Themyscira. 

“Wait till I tell them we promised to marry each other.” Kimberly had muttered to her.

Zordon had been hesitant as well, not wanting the Crystal to remain unprotected, and had said he’d only allow them to go if they wore the bracelets that allowed them to transport back to the ship in case he needed them.

“How will we know if something is wrong?”

“I’m connected to the bracelets. You’ll be transported immediately as soon as I need you.” 

Diana had informed the League about their trip after she and Trini had attended Dinah’s funeral, and Clark had told them to go without hesitation, his eyes not moving from Oliver, who was looking around the place in anger for any sign of Bruce, who had been banned from attending Dinah’s funeral completely.

“Clark-.”

“Oliver will come around, Diana. But you can’t help him do it. Just give him time.” 

Bruce had only contacted them to let them know he was okay, but had apparently gone on a trip back to “an old familiar home” of his in order to find himself again, and Diana had expressed her guilt over it all to Trini on their way back to Angel Grove after the funeral.

“Ares is my responsibility, and yet he destroyed everyone I hold dear…” 

Needless to say, the holiday to Themyscira was much needed, and Trini has never felt more relaxed than she is right now.

Seeing Hippolyta again had been a highlight, Trini jumping from the boat and into her grandmother’s arms as Hippolyta held her close and pressed kisses to her hair. 

“My dear child, thank god you’re safe…”

Helena, Egeria, Penelope and Artemis had returned to Themyscira a day after Ares’s attack to deliver her body back to her home island, and the first thing Diana had done was visit Euboea’s grave, scattered among the few that had lost their lives the day Steve Trevor had landed on Themyscira. 

The reunion between Diana and Helena had been nothing sort of magical.

Trini and Kimberly had found themselves simply watching in awe as Diana and run straight to Helena, hugging her tightly before resting her forehead against Helena’s with a warm smile.

The appearance of three men on the island had shocked the other Amazons, but after Egeria, Helena, Penelope and Artemis had told them that they’d fought alongside them in battle, Zack, Billy and Jason had been welcomed with open arms, all the Amazons greeting them with pats on the back and grins. 

So far, she’s spent four days of bliss with Kimberly wrapped up in her arms, both of them with a room of their own in the Royal Palace, and the Rangers, Diana and Helena had spent their days either on the beach or doing light training with the other Amazons. 

But today was a beach day, all the Rangers still slightly sore from training yesterday, and Trini looks at Kimberly, who smiles and throws the covers off herself and runs to her suitcase to grab her bikini.

“Yes! Come on Kimmy, Trini!” Zack cheers.

“We’ll meet you down on the Beach.” Jason says with a chuckle, and the four of them leave the room as Trini and Kimberly quickly change into their bikinis before they leave the room and head out to the main hallway.

They're greeted by Diana and Helena, both of them in togas, looking ethereal as Helena looks at Trini and Kimberly in their bikinis with a raised eyebrow.

“I still don’t understand these clothes.” 

“It’s fashion, Helena.” Kimberly teases.

“You say that every day, and I still don’t know what it means…” Helena mutters, and Diana laughs and presses a kiss to Helena’s cheek before extending a hand from Trini and Kimberly to take.

“Zack ran past with Tommy and Billy, they’re already at the Beach.”

“The Amazons hate him, don’t they?” Trini says with a chuckle, and Diana laughs.

“They find him…exciting.” She says simply. 

They all make their way to the Beach, the Amazons looking at them in their bikinis with looks of confusion as they have for the last four days every time they see them, and Diana sighs and looks at Trini with a grin.

“We’re going to need to bring clothes for them from our world.”

“I don’t think it’ll be well received.” Trini says with a laugh. 

As soon as they reach the beach, Trini smiles as she sees Zack jumping from one of the small clifftops and into the water with a cheer, Tommy and Jason joining him soon after before Billy also takes a dive, and they swim back up to the beach front, Tommy jumping on Zack’s back and ruffling the water from his hair with a laugh, and Kimberly and Trini run straight for them, Trini jumping on Billy’s back as Kimberly jumps on Jason’s.

“We will carry you three into the water!” Jason yells, and Kimberly ruffles his hair.

“Do it, I dare you!” She yells back.

“Oh, that’s it!” Jason runs with Kimberly on his back straight for the water, Kimberly screaming at him to stop the entire time as Zack does the same to Tommy, and Trini grips Billy’s shoulders.

“Don’t you dare, Billy!” She yells, and Billy grins and grips her thighs.

“Sorry, Trini!” He takes off, and Trini grips him tightly, yelling as Billy runs into the water and before diving into it with Trini still on his back.

The water is cool on her skin, heated from the sun as she lets go of Billy and swims to the surface with a gasp of air.

The water is cool, so clear that she can see her feet as she paddles to keep herself afloat, but the sun is hot against her skin, a perfect contrast as Trini swims over to Kimberly, who splashes Jason before grinning at her girlfriend. 

“This is paradise!” Kimberly yells, moving forward and hugging Trini before kissing her deeply. Trini kisses her back, smiling against her lips before she pulls away. 

"Can I say something?" Billy asks breathlessly, and Jason laughs.

"Go for it, Billy!" Billy grins.

"We defeated aliens, we defeated a demigod...GO, GO POWER RANGERS!" Billy yells, and Zack crows loudly with victory.

"GO, GO POWER RANGERS!" Zack says, swimming toward Billy and ruffling his hair with a grin as the others laugh. 

They splash around for a bit longer before making their way back to the beach front, and Trini grins widely as she runs up to Diana, who raises a finger to stop her in her tracks.

“Do not get this toga wet.” She warns. Trini’s grin widens, and Diana glares at her.

“Trini, don’t-.” Trini jumps at her, hugging her tightly as Diana groans before chuckling and hugging her back.

“Why do you never listen to me, little one?”

“I do listen to you!” Trini says, pulling back with a grin, and Diana chuckles and presses a kiss to her brow.

“Ah…I love you, little one.”

“I love you too.” Trini says with a smile. She drops down from Diana’s arms as Kimberly calls her over.

“Trin! Come here!” Trini’s eyes move to Kimberly, who has a gigantic stick in her hand as she waves Trini over. Trini makes her way over to Kimberly, who holds her hand out for Trini to take, which she does. 

Kimberly quick scratches a love heart into the sand with the stick before putting the initials ‘K.H’ with a plus sign underneath it before putting the initials ‘T.P’ beneath that. Trini rolls her eyes.

“How cliché.”

“Shut up, you love it.” Kimberly says, grinning widely as she wraps her arms around Trini’s neck and kisses her tenderly.

“Mmm…I love you.” Trini says softly. Kimberly smiles against her lips, runs a hand through Trini’s hair before kissing her again gently.

“I love you, too.” She whispers. 

They pull away, their hands still intertwined, and Trini’s eyes move to Zack and Tommy play tackling each other on the sand with laughter, over to Billy and Jason, who are building a sandcastle as Billy claps excitedly as Jason watches him fondly, then to Diana and Helena, Helena’s arms wrapped around Diana from behind as Diana watches each of the Rangers with a love of pure love on her face before she turns and kisses Helena lightly on the lips.

Trini smiles at the sight before her, then looks up at the sky, clear blue and absolutely beautiful before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath in. 

And despite everything that’s happened to her, to all of them, Diana’s words from so long ago, from a time when Trini thought she was lost forever, echo in her mind.

_“Sometimes I find myself asking why. Why I’m here, why I’ve lost what I’ve lost, gained what I’ve gained. Sometimes I ask the Gods, my father, if he was right in making me. I was brought on this Earth to destroy one man, and when I did, I struggled for a long time with finding a reason to keep going. So, sometimes I find myself asking why. This…this calms me. To feel the wind, the warmth of the sun…to come to the conclusion that I don’t care why I’m here anymore…only that I am.”_

And Trini comes to the same conclusion she did before as she squeezes Kimberly’s hand in her own.

_I’m here. I’m alive and I’m here. And that’s what matters._


End file.
